By KC kimberly@chelebpublishing.com	American Idol Season Six Reviews & Recaps

 

 

 

“The Final Showdown – The Spark Has Been Ignited.”   Just like I predicted a couple of weeks ago, it all comes down to a final showdown between Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis. There was a correspondent on the Today Show that stated if anyone says they are not shocked by Melinda Doolittle not being in the finals, they are lying. Well, I am no liar mister. And if you had read my blog you would not have been shocked either. Before the performances, we took a trip down memory lane and revisited the Seattle auditions, which incidentally produced both Blake and Jordin. The songwriter competition winner also hailed from Seattle. Last week, Blake Lewis won the coin toss and with some encouragement from Jordin chose to perform first. The contestant each had to sing three songs. The first song is their favorite song, the second a song they haven’t sang on the show before, and finally they would perform the winner of the songwriter’s competition. For his first song, Blake Lewis performed his remixed version of Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love A Bad Name”.  And just like the first time, it was off the chain. The audience was so pumped up after his performance that it was difficult for judge Randy Jackson to deliver his comments. When the crowd finally settled down, Randy said that he would give Blake a 10 out of 10 on the beat boxing. But Randy said the singing was just alright. Paula said that she was going to clean out Randy’s ears. Then she said Blake out did himself and she wished she could give him more than a 10. Simon reiterated that Blake is not the best singer in the competition. However Simon told Blake that he is the best performer. Simon went on to point out that Blake’s singing was flat in the middle song, but that it was still one of his better performances. Jordin Sparks decided to perform the song she never sang before first. The song she picked was Christina Aguilera’s “Fighter”. I was a little worried, because Christina Aguilera’s songs are hard to sing. But of course, little Jordin Sparks rose to the occasion.  Once again, it was difficult for Randy to get the words out because the audience was so hyped. Then told Jordin that it was not one of her most entertaining performances, but that her vocals were stellar, brilliant and amazing. Paula obviously couldn’t find her own words to express her comments, so she too told Jordin that she was stellar, however she did manage to throw in the word awesome describe the performance. Simon was happy that Jordin chose a younger song, since she is only 17 years-old, but he said that he thought he vocals were a little shreiky. Then Simon delivered the ultimate diss and gave round one to Blake. For his second and never performed on American Idol song, Blake Lake decided to perform another Maroon 5 song. This time he picked one the band’s softer tunes, the ballad “She Will Be Love”.  Blake’s performance was sweet and sincere, but once again he’s no Adam Levine. Randy thought Blake picked a nice song and he also told him that he loves when he sings natural and pure. Paula commended Blake on getting into the ease of the song and for sounding great and relaxed. Simon said Blake’s performance was good and safe, but not as good as the first performance. Then Simon expressed disappointment that in this stage of the competition Blake picked a song that did not have that much of an impact. Jordin Sparks chose the Martina McBride song “With A Broken Wing “, as her favorite song. I’m just happy she didn’t decide to sing the song “I Who Have Nothing” again. It is a good thing Jordin can really, really sing, because I did not feel like the song suit her. That song has to be sung with heart wrenching agony, something I doubt a privileged teenager is familiar with. When she starts her professional singing career she will definitely need someone to pick her songs for her. Randy said he still believes that Jordin is the most talented 17 year-old he has ever see. Then he called her performance flawless and said in his opinion it was better than the original. Paula starting off by telling Jordin that she looked great, but she quickly followed up by saying she was in great vocal voice. Simon simply said now that was great. The next song performed by the contestants was the one written by the winners of the American Idol Season Six songwriter’s competition. The winning song, “This Is My Now”, was written by two gentlemen, Scott Propane and Jeff Peabody, from Seattle. The song, an inspirational, post breakup, I will survive type ballad, was first performed by Blake Lewis. It seemed to me as if Blake was really struggling with the song. He was off key in places and very pitchy. Randy seemed to feel the same way. He explained to Blake that he realized this is not the type of song that really suits his voice, but that even so he did an alright job with and that he didn’t have to feel bad about the performance. Paula lied and said that even though it is not the genre of music he likes or prefers, she felt like he was in great voice.  Simon said he thought the performance was all a little odd. Simon tried to soften the blow a little bit, by saying that he felt they would have to judge him on the other two songs he sang, because this is not the type of song Blake would sing. Then Simon paid he another compliment, by saying that he always believed there was talent in Seattle. For the final performance, Jordin Sparks would have to perform the same song “This Is My Now”.  All I can say is that American Idol is a singing competition and Jordin can sing. So you know that she kicked Blake’s butt when it came down to performing the same song. I mean let’s face it, if that song was released by both of the Idol contenders, which one would you, buy? But what I really want to talk about is the look on Melinda Doolittle’s face, when the camera man cut to her during Jordin’s performance. Was that a little hate I detect written on Melinda’s face? Or was she just super nervous for her girl? You rewind the tape and check out for yourself and let me know what you think. Randy said that American Idol is the best singing competition in the history of the world and that Jordin was the best singer. He went on to say that she deserved it all and that her performance was fire. Paula rambled on about Jordin’s parents being proud and then she called Jordin an angel and said it was a great night for her. Simon confessed to Jordin that last week he didn’t think that she was good enough to make it to the finals, but now he wanted to publicly apologize to her and admit that he was wrong. Then Simon told Jordin, because it is a signing competition, she just wiped the floor with Blake. As I have been saying for the last few weeks, I believe the spark has been ignited and Jordin Sparks will be crowned the Season Six American Idol.

 

“A Triple Threat or a Triple Treat - As Three Idols Try to Become the One to Beat”   The writing had been on the wall for quite some time, but on Wednesday night what I had long predicted became reality. Instead of the three diva showdown that many American Idol commentators predicted, we were left instead with two divas and one daring, yet dashing dude. That’s because early favorite LaKisha Jones fell off of her throne and was booted from the show last week. That leaves us now wondering, which of the remaining three contestants will receive the American Idol Season Six crown. Trying to survive one more week the three were faced with not one, not even two, but three songs. That’s right in an effort to stretch the show out as long as possible, each contestant had to perform three songs, a song picked by the judges, one picked by the producers of American Idol, and the contestant’s very own favorite song. To easing their daunting task a wee bit and to stretch the show out a little longer, the contestants all  got a chance to spend a little time in their respective hometowns. And they all received heroes welcomes when they arrived. First up was the baby of the bunch, little Miss Jordin Sparks. Jordin who hails from Glendale, Arizona was welcomed by the mayor of her hometown, Ms. Elaine Scruggs a few hundred of Jordin’s closets friends. In her hand the mayor held what looked like a proclamation, however it turned out to be a fax from judge Simon Cowell. When the mayor read the contents of the fax, we found out what Jordin’s first song would be. Judges selected the classic “Wishing on a Star”, by the group Rolls Royce for the little Sparklette to sing. The song was a good choice for Jordin. The hairstyle and wardrobe were not. I prefer it when Jordin’s hair is worn straight. The straighter look compliments her face and figure better, in other words it makes her look thinner. Back to the song, though. The judges are always talking about song choice and like I said I think they made a pretty solid one for Jordin. Of course, when they selected a Rolls Royce song, I was thinking they should have picked the classic “Car Wash” so Jordin could have belted it out ala Christina Aguilera style. Judge Randy Jackson totally dug Jordin’s vocals. He called them hot and likened her runs on the end of the song to those of mega star Beyonce. Paula Abdul started off by complimenting Simon for picking a good song for Jordin. Then she told Jordin that she did a great job and that it was a wonderful way to start off the show. Simon said Jordin sang the song brilliantly, but lamented the way the song was arranged. In fact Simon said, “I just wish we hadn’t done the weird jazz arrangement with”. Simon said he preferred the pure version of the song and then he pointed out that even though he picked the song, it wasn’t one of her better performances. Jordin was understandably perplexed by the remark and I was too. It seems to me if the arrangement of a song is weird, but you still manage to sing it brilliantly then you apparently have done a pretty amazing job. Furthermore, we found out during the call for votes with host Ryan Seacrest that Jordin had never heard the song before, just one more thing, in my opinion, to stack in Jordin’s favor. Next up was Blake Lewis. Blake traveled all the way to his hometown of Bothell, Washington to find out what song Paula Abdul picked for him. Mayor Mark Lamb announced that the song Ms. Abdul selected was “Roxanne” by the Police.  I must say I was slightly disappointed in the song choice. I was hoping they would pick a tune that better showcased his wide range of music abilities.  But when he performed the song, I have to admit that Ms. Abdul apparently knew what she was doing. It was the perfect song to showcase his vocal abilities. It proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Blake deserved to be in the competition simply because of his singing abilities. Randy thought Blake laid down so good vocals on the track. He pointed out some pitch problems, but said all in all he would grade his performance as an A. Paula exclaimed that Blake did her proud. She added that it was good and fresh and that she really loved it. Simon said the performance was good, but not great. He based his assessment on the fact that the song forces you to do an impersonation of Sting, and in Simon opinion it wasn’t as good as the original. The crowd did not appreciate Simon’s comments at all. Performing last in the first round was Melinda Doolittle and she took her big voice home to birthplace of many big singing careers, to none other than Nashville, Tennessee. Always doing things big, Ms Do-A lot got her song selection from the Governor of Tennessee. Gov. Phil Bredesen was a little leery of reading the fax, since it was marked “check it out”, but when he read it, he found out it was from the dawg himself, Randy Jackson. The dawg must have being trying to show his girl that he truly believe in her, so hook her up by selecting the Whitney Houston song “I Believe In You and Me”. I must say I am shocked he chose a Whitney song and not a Mariah Carey one, for Melinda to serenade the crowd with. I guess he doesn’t have that much faith in her. Well I truly believe Melinda is the best singer in the competition, even so I don’t believe she will win. I’m not sure who her target audience is. Yeah, yeah I’m in my 30’s and I love classic R&B music, but who of you out there actually owns a Taylor Hicks CD?  I for one bought a Chris Daughtry CD and I am rocking the Elliot Yamin joint right now. With that said, I believe the younger diva’s light will shine brighter as she has more mass appeal than Melinda. And Blake will appeal to a group of people who like a different genre of music than what Melinda is bringing On a different note, the more hair on Melinda’s head the better. She’s got this funny no neck shape and camouflaging that little body flaw makes all the difference in the world. She looked absolutely stunning during her first performance. Randy explained during his evaluation of Melinda’s performance that he chose the Whitney song to try to throw a little difficulty at Melinda. As he expected though, she met the challenge head on. He went on to say that Melinda she blew it out of the box and rose to the occasion. Paula called Melinda fantastic and amazing. Paula also said that Melinda gave what she believes to be one of her best performance this season. Simon acknowledged that the song was a very difficult one to sing. Then he echoed what Paula said, by stating that Melinda gave one of her best performances in the last four weeks. Simon topped off his comments by awarding round one to Melinda. The second round greeted us with Jordin Sparks answering a viewer’s question. Bailey of North Carolina wanted to know what Jordin’s favorite song of all time was. Jordin responded that the song that always puts a smile on her face is Mmm Bop by baby boy group Hanson. I feel ya Jordin, it’s one of my 10 year-old son’s favorites too. In fact, it was the first song he sang, probably because of the easy lyrics. Well the producers didn’t decide to take it easy on little Jordin, in fact they decided to make her work real hard. And fittingly so, they picked the song “She Works Hard for the Money” by Donna Summers for Jordin to perform as her second song. Being 17 years-old with a father that use to play professional football, I doubt Jordin has every really worked hard for anything, especially money. I still got love for my girl, but I don’t think she could feel the true essence of the song she was singing. So in my opinion it was not a good song choice for her. Perhaps the producers picked it to even out the stakes for Blake. Randy took it easy on baby girl, saying that it doesn’t matter what song Jordin sings that she works it out. Paula told Jordin that she worked hard for the money and then she said that she thought her performance was fantastic. Simon too felt like Jordin gave a good performance. But once again he bagged the arrangement, calling it, what else, but a bit old fashioned. Blake Lewis too had field a question. His question came from Nancy in Clearwater, FL. She wanted to know what Blake though a movie of his life should be called and who should play the part of him. Blake answered the second part of the question first, saying that Jim Carey would have to play him. Then he finally decided on the movie title “Organized Chaos”. The producers must really like Blake, because in my opinion they gave him a cake walk of a song. He was bestowed with the catchy tune “This Love” by the wildly popular group Maroon 5. Blake is no Adam Levine, but he definitely put a new spin on the track with his itching for a scratch beat boxing. Randy was already counting the royalties. He told Blake that when he puts out a record, the song he performed is the kind of song he should make. Randy wrapped by telling Blake that his performance was well done. Paula said that Blake was totally in his element and that it was a good night for him.  Simon said he preferred this performance to the first one, which Simon called a copycat. In summary, Simon thought the performance was good. Before Melinda Doolittle’s second time on the mic, she had to answer a question posed by a fan in Portland, Oregon. Lindsay wanted to know who Melinda’s idol was while she was growing up and why. Melinda responded that her mommy has always been the one she looked up to. Host Ryan Seacrest took the response and ran with, by saying that Melinda reply didn’t make her grandmother, who was sitting in the audience with grandpa, feel very good. The producers picked “Nutbush City Limits” by Ike and Tina Turner. The producers could have picked any song for Melinda and she would have rocked it out. But boy did they pick the perfect one. I fully expected Tina Turner to come out and join Melinda on stage. Randy said Melinda gave yet another stellar performance and then he gave her some free career advice. He recommended that she put some stuff like Nutbush on her record, when she releases it.  Paula wanted to know if Melinda had fun. Melinda said she had a blast. After that all Paula could add was that we (meaning she) love her. Simon said he loves to see this side of Melinda and that she gave another brilliant performance. Randy gave the round to Melinda, but this time Simon said it was a tie. The final round was also the favorite song round. Jordan Sparks was up first and I was just praying that she wasn’t going to sing “Mmm Bop”. My prayers were answered and she chose the song “I Who Have Nothing” instead. This song has been covered by a lot of artists, but perhaps the best known singer of this song is Shirley Bassey. This is the second time that Jordin has performed the song on American Idol. She performed it once before on British Invasion night. I though Jordin did an awesome job the first time, but she totally topped that performance this go around. Randy said the performance was great and in his opinion, Jordin’s best of the night. Paula said the song sat well in Jordin’s voice and that she sounded really great. Simon could not dispute the fact that Jordin sang the song well, but he hated the fact that she sang a 60 year old song. Simon concluded by saying that he wished Jordin would have picked another song. Well Blake Lewis did reach way back in time for his favorite song. He picked the song “When I Get You Alone” by hot and in the moment artist Robin Thicke. But before he sang to the in studio audience, we saw tape of him singing the classic “Back Got Back” with another Washington state hero, Sir Mix-A-Lot. I’m sorry I don’t buy that the song Blake sang was his favorite. And I think that distracted from the performance. Don’t get me wrong, but I would think an artist like Blake would like something a little more upbeat. Frankly, I was disappointed in the song choice and the performance. Blake’s performance simply rated an alright in Randy’s book, who said he preferred the Maroon 5 joint to Blake’s so-called favorite song. Paula said all of Blake’s song choice exemplified who he was as an artist and that he made three great song choices. Surprise, surprise, Simon said with conviction that he really liked Blake’s final performance. Simon added that what he admired about Blake was the fact that he wasn’t afraid to take a risk and that he actually looked like he was having fun. Melinda Doolittle closed out the show. No one has gotten back to me from the show, but I need know if there is some unwritten rule in the American Idol Season Six handbook that states that an African-American female has to close the show out. I mean Jordin and Melinda can not be that unlucky or lucky, depending on how you look at it. Anyway, Melinda chose the song “I’m a Woman (W-O-M-A-N)” for her final and favorite song. But before she sang, the governor of her state unveiled a street name in her honor. That’s right when you go to Nashville, you can now cruise down Melinda Doolittle way. All that can be said about Melinda’s song choice, is you sholl are. You the woman, girl. Randy said that once again, Melinda’s performance was hot. Paula went on and on about Melinda stepping out on her own and enjoying the whole journey of being in the spotlight. Simon said he liked the little striptease Melinda treated us to at the top of her performance. Then he said that if he was going to award a spot in the finals based on consistency week after week, it would go to Melinda. I agree with Simon, but I am just not sure if Melinda will be able to pull in the votes. I still think the top two will be Jordin and Blake.

 

 

 

“The Idols Strive to Stay Alive, But Only One Woman Gets the Love”   Not surprisingly, I found myself feeling a little sad when Phil Stacey was voted off last week. That’s not a typo. Don’t get me wrong, I fully expected him and Chris Richardson to be the ones leaving the show. However, the producers did everything in their powers to tug at my heartstrings. And as a result, I found myself feeling a little guilty that I didn’t vote for Phil. I mean first of all, host Ryan Seacrest mentions that Phil’s father is a pastor of a church and has been since he was a child, and as such he was not allowed to listen to secular music. Then they kept cutting to all his Navy buddies, constantly reminding us that Phil is an enlisted man. Thus any person that loves the Lord and this nation was forced to check themselves for not giving a “good” man like Phil a chance at Idol stardom.  Well a good man he may be, but whether or not he is a good performer is certainly debatable. Now on to this week’s show. The four remaining contestants each got a chance to perform twice. And serving as their celebrity mentor was none other than singer, songwriter, and producer Barry Gibb, who is probably best known as a member of the 70’s mega group the Bee Gees. Melinda Doolittle was up first and she chose the song “Love You Inside and Out”.  Her selection shocked Mr. Gibb because it was a falsetto song. Even though, he thought the choice of song was odd for Melinda’s deep raspy voice, he said she definitely pulled it off. Initially, I was going to have to disagree with Mr. Gibb, because I really was not feeling the way she sang the song. But halfway through it Melinda came alive. Judge Randy Jackson seemed to be on the same vibe as me. He told Melinda that she gave another solid performance, although it didn’t have him jumping up and down. Paula Abdul muttered something about Melinda’s vocals always being on point. Then, she said at this stage of the competition they are looking for her to wow them in some other aspect of her performance. According to Paula this could be in song selection, styling or what have you.  Thank goodness, we have Simon Cowell to interpret Paula’s remarks. Simon said he believe what Paula was trying to say was that she wasn’t that impressed with Melinda’s performance. After clarifying Paula’s comments, Simon went on to say that he was expecting incredible performances at this point of the competition and he felt that Melinda’s was not up to par. In fact, in Simon’s opinion her performance was more like a background vocalists than a solo artists. A gibe the audience was not at all happy about. It took Melinda to actually calm the audience down, when she mouthed that it was okay, referring to the comment Simon made. Basically Simon felt the performance was not a star’s performance and that Melinda was better than that. He was also thankful that Melinda would be performing two songs. Blake Lewis, the only boy left in the American Idol competition, was next and he chose the song “You Should Be Dancing”. This is the song that I envisioned Blake singing, when I heard the Idols were going to be performing Bee Gee songs. And just as Barry said in his taped interview about the coaching session, the song goes well with Blake’s beat boxing because there is a breakdown area in it, in which his musical stylings fit nicely. It is always interesting to see what Blake will do with a song. He sang the song well enough, but for some reason I felt like he should have thrown a rap in their instead of so much beat boxing. Randy said that whereas sometimes when Blake does the beat boxing it works, this time it didn’t.  Randy felt like the song Blake chose didn’t need any of it. Randy wanted to keep it real for his dawg, so he went on to say that the arrangement actually made the song corny and that while he was listening to it, he felt like he was in some weird discotec. Paula said that Blake’s pitch was off, but that he did show why he is unique and still on the AI6 stage. Piggybacking on Paula’s comments, Simon said he would give Blake unique and he admitted that music is a matter of personal taste, but in the end Simon said he thought it was terrible. Lakisha Jones followed Blake. I’m telling you, if Lakisha had said she had never heard of Barry Gibb and the Bee Gees, I would have personally led a campaign to have her kicked off the show. I mean for heavens sake, I just don’t think you deserve to be the American Idol if you have a limited repertoire of music. Being exposed to a wide range of music and vocalist is what makes musicians and singers great. Then they can take those different styles and incorporate them into their own personal mix. Fortunately, for me and Lakisha she didn’t make such a nonsensical statement about Barry Gibb’s music. Unfortunately for her and the rest of the world, she selected the song “Staying Alive” to perform. Poor Barry, as Lakisha struggle with the song during her coaching session, he looked liked a beleaguered father who was forced to watch someone torture and ultimately kill one of his kid. But somehow the two worked it out. Lakisha took the stage with force and she absolutely owned that song. She was poised and confident and had the moves to back up her lyrics. It was truly an appropriate song for Ms. Jones, because her mission has to be keeping herself alive and kicking in a competition, where she has lost her frontrunner status. Apparently, it was going to take much more for Lakisha to regain her diva status with Randy. He said her arrangement of the song, with all the stopping and starting and changing of the melody, just wasn’t working for him. When it came Simon’s turn, he dauntingly informed Lakisha that she would not be getting a kiss tonight. He followed up by telling her that she had returned to the shouting and that the performance verged on being scary at times. Jordin Sparks appeared in the number four spot, but before she sang she had to answer a fan’s question. The fan wanted to know what she learned most about herself during this process. Jordin replied that she learned that she could handle a lot more than she thought she could. Jordin selected the song, “To Love Someone”. Barry Gibb said that he couldn’t imagine a girl singing this song. Then after she sang it, he said he heard a couple of hundred people sing this song, but he hadn’t heard a better version than Jordin’s. I take back what, I said about Lakisha. Jordin is the one that owned the song. I think Barry Gibb will probably wrap it up and give it to her and never allow anyone else to sing it again. That song is official done. It’s just like when Whitney Houston sang Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You”. Whitney ruined that song for all other singers, and Jordin Sparks may have just done he same with “To Love Someone”. Randy finally came out of his funk and told Jordin that her performance was the best so far. Obviously the show was running short on time, so Paula simply reiterated what Randy said, which was basically that Jordin’s performance was the best so far. Simon too said it was the best song choice and performance thus far. Before her second performance, Melinda had to field a fan question. Melinda’s fan wanted to know what was the first tape or CD that she purchased. Melinda said since she was a little older, it was a tape and it was Michael Jackson’s “Bad”. For her second, Barry Gibb tune, Melinda chose the song “How Do You Mend A Broken Heart”. Barry said she changed the chords, but he didn’t have any criticism with that. His only problem was that she didn’t sing the whole song. Hello, Mr. Gibb, she doesn’t have time to sing the whole thing? Plus Melinda explained which she has been very careful not to sing any lyrics with the word “loser” in it, because she wants to win. She said she rather be wet than a loser. I really liked Melinda’s rendition, but I kept thinking about the Al Green version. So I was looking for a little more soulful angst in the tune. You know Al sang the song so bluesy, that you wanted to track him down and give him a bear hug. Even so, Melinda moved the crowd and me too. Randy was back on Melinda team and he even called her the resident pro. First of all, Paula compared Melinda to Stephanie Mills, one of my favorite artists, but then she warned her that it’s not all about vocal technique. She advised her to throw out some of her technique and surprise them a little. Simon said what we were all thinking, when he asked Melinda if she understood anything that Paula said. Melinda didn’t verbally respond, but her face said it all. After Simon admitted he had no clue what Paula was trying to say, he said that the second half of Melinda’s song guaranteed her a spot in the semi-finals. Blake’s second song was an obscure Bee Gee tune, “This is Where I Came In”. Barry Gibb said it was a song he and his brother thought would be a hit, but of course they were wrong. He’s hoping that Blake would have better success for it. Perhaps the Bee Gees were simply ahead of their time, when they wrote the song, because Blake’s version was hot. And I was happy that he limited the beat boxing to the end of the song.  Randy liked this song better than the first one, but he still was not completely sold on Blake’s version. In addition, Randy told Blake that he didn’t have to beat box on every song. Paula called Blake the contemporary rebel of the competition and said even though she didn’t know the song; it could be an enjoyable, contemporary hit. Simon kept his comments brief and to the point, he said he never heard of the song and he didn’t know why Blake chose it, because he found it completely tuneless. Simon ended by saying he didn’t think that Blake had a good night. Perhaps Simon is getting to old to judge contemporary music.   The second time around for Ms. Jones had her trying her hand at a Bee Gee ballad. She selected the song “Run to Me”. After a few changes in key, Barry seemed to be impressed with what LaKisha was doing with the song. The song was more in LaKisha’s element, but I was not overwhelmed by her performance. I did, however, think that she looked absolutely stunning in her green and black dress. She and her stylist unquestionably do a wonderful and consistent job of making her look beautiful. But she definitely brought shouting and shrieking back, and it was anything but sexy Randy started off with a chuckle and then he pointed out that Lakisha got a little hoarse at the end of the song. But ultimately he just said LaKisha’s performance was better than the first one. All Paula could manage to get in was that LaKisha shouldn’t beat herself up over the performance, because she is still a champ. After informing the audience that they were short on time, Simon simply said that the performance was better than the first one but still not great. He added that he thought she and Blake were the vulnerable ones tonight. Of course it was up to the smoking Jordin Sparks to shut down the show. For her second song, she chose a song not originally written for the Bee Gees. Instead she selected a song that Barry Gibbs wrote for his good friend Barbara Streisand (I wonder how Rosie O’Donnell will feel about that tomorrow), the empowering tune “Woman In Love”.  Barry was so impressed with Jordin’s singing that he predicted that she would be one of our greatest female recording artists. I mean you could just see the dollar signs in Barry’s eyes as Jordin was singing. You could tell he was thinking about what he was going to buy when Jordin re-released the song on her album. Jordin may have been singing about a woman in love, but she is the woman and we are all in love with her. You go Jordin Sparks, set the world on fire. Randy wasn’t feeling the love in Jordin’s song and claimed it was pitchy. It must have been the acoustics in the building. Paula jumped on the pitchy bandwagon. Simon was also hating on my baby girl. He said the song was old fashioned and pageantry. He even dissed her beautiful blue dress. The judges comments drew some well deserved boos from the crowd. They are always saying when you go back and look at the tape you’ll see what I’m talking about. Well, I think when they go back and watch the tape, they’ll eat their words. But I do agree with Simon about the vulnerable contestants. I think Blake and LaKisha are at risk. I know everyone is predicting that there will be a three diva showdown, but I think that LaKisha will be the one to go this week. For a long time I have felt as is the top three will be Melinda, Jordin and Blake. I am leaning towards Jordin winning, but something tells me Blake will be the runner up.

 

The Top Six Idols Bond with Bon Jovi”   So last Wednesday was the big Idol Gives Back Special. An event that raised just under $70 million dollars for charities here and in Africa. And in the true spirit of giving, the producers of American Idol decided not to give any of the contestants the boot. But that was not before they tried to give me and I’m sure the rest of America a coronary attack when they tried to make it seem as if front-runner Jordin Sparks would be leaving us. Well this week two contestants will be leaving us. The bottom and thus departing two will be determined based on the combination of this week’s and last week’s votes.  To strengthen their staying power, the remaining six contestants got an opportunity to tackle the music of super rock group Bon Jovi.  To assist the Idols in their endeavors, were none other than front man Jon Bon Jovi and keyboardist David Bryan. After meeting the Idols and telling them that his kids love the show, Jon gave them a general piece of advice, “Make the song your own.” With that in mind, Phil Stacey was the first contestant up. Phil chose to take ownership of the song “Blaze of Glory”, which Jon said he wrote for the movie Young Guns. Jon said that Phil knocked the song right out of the ballpark and that it was obvious that he had sang it before. Making Jon and David feel all kinds of young I’m sure, Phil said he was the kid that sang this particular song into his comb while in front of the mirror. I just want to pause and say that last week, when Simon strongly suggested that Phil pursue country music, I made a comment about country music fans being more forgiving. Well I stand by that statement, but I don’t think that’s why Simon made the suggestion. I think he did it because male country music singers are rarely seen without their cowboy hats and he like me is totally distracted by Phil’s clean shaven head and pointy ears. Back to the show, Phil started his song in the audience. And he didn’t missing a beat or a step as he made his way to the stage. He was thoroughly confident singing his chosen song. He even paused to give judge Randy Jackson some dap during the performance. His fifteen years of practicing the song in the mirror, thoroughly paid off. The only thing that could have topped the performance off, both literally and figuratively, would have been a black leather cowboy hat designed to match the embroidery on the back of his jacket, but once again I digress. It was pretty apparent that Randy enjoyed the performance. Since he couldn’t even wait for the end of it to congratulate his dawg on a job well done. Not to mention, as we later found out, Randy played bass on the song when Bon Jovi recorded it, so the song was near and dear to his heart. Randy went on to say that besides country week, this was Phil’s best week ever on the show. A statement that I would have to agree with.  After rambling about this being a year out of Phil’s life that he will never forget (how does she know, he could fall on his big head and be stricken with a severe case of amnesia), Paula Abdul managed to eek out a somewhat substantial comment by saying that Phil’s performance was the best opening they’ve had on the show all season long. Simon Cowell must have been reading my mind, because he quickly retorted that he didn’t know about that. Then Simon said that he thought Phil’s performance was ok. It was the audience turn to retort and that did so with a round of thunderous boos. Simon quieted the audience by promising that if they let him talk for five minutes, they could boo all they want. Turning his attention back to Phil, Simon said the performance lacked authenticity and that the middle of it reminded him of a bad actor playing the role of a rock star. In the end, Simon predicted that Phil’s performance was not good enough to keep him in the competition for another week. Following Phil, was the sensational Jordin Sparks. Little Miss Jordin chose the song “Living on a Prayer”.  She too made the Bon Jovi band mates feel like spring chickens, by saying her mom got her into their music and that she has been listening to it since birth. Jon Bon Jovi said the song that Jordin picked is a difficult one to sing. And in clips of his mentoring session with her, we could see him fiddling with the notes and keys she was singing in.  Appearing on stage all rocked out, with the wildly tousled hair and all black attire, I think that Bon Jovi and Jordin’s musical tweaking paid off, because Jordin did a great job with the song. Now I don’t think it was Jordin’s best performance and the beginning wasn’t as sharp as it could have been, but Jordin’s got the sparkle and that should sustain her to the very end of the competition. Randy had a hard time critiquing he resident sweetie pie. He simply told her that she was not a rocker girl. On the positive side, he said that when she hit the big notes in the chorus it was cool, but on the downside the verses were rough. Paula commended Jordin on going for it, even though the song was a little bit out of her range. Not wanting to leave her without a kind word, Paula reminded Jordin of how hot she is with the fans. Simon cued the boos in advance, so he could get them out of the way. When the audience didn’t readily respond, he began to attacking Jordin’s look by saying she resembled members of the Addams Family. Then he said her singing was absolutely out of control and verged on shrieking. Just when it looked like Simon was going to have pity on the young contestant, he summed up by calling the performance terrible. Next up was LaKisha Jones. However, before she sang the voluptuous Ms. Jones had to answer a fan question. After offering her a seat, which KiKi declined because according to her she wanted the camera to capture her slim side (if you ask me she didn’t want to risk ripping her skintight jeans – don’t get mad at me I feel her, because I would have done the same), Ryan asked her, for the fan, if she’d had any formal training. LaKisha said she hadn’t, unless you count the church choir. Before meeting the members of Bon Jovi, Lakisha admitted that she never listened to any of their songs. I find that hard to believe. Come on, does she really expect us to believe she’s never heard “Dead or Alive” or “You Give Love A Bad Name”. Anyway, if what she says is true it may have been an advantage, because she picked a pretty good song for herself. Lakisha chose the song “This Ain’t a Love Song”. Jon was confident in her choice too. In fact he said he’s not a betting man, but he bets that Lakisha will not be sticking around another week once she sings this song. The song was perfect for Lakisha, but she gave anything but a flawless performance. I was all hyped about, but in my opinion she fell flat. The only good part was the end, when she hit the big note. Before telling Lakisha what he thought about her performance, Randy joked that he could tell she was singing the song to Simon. After lightening the mood, Randy said that beginning was rough and pitchy, but that by the middle she had everyone sold. He wrapped his comments by saying that Lakisha blew it out the box and that she was back. I could tell by the way Paula was blinking her eyes that she didn’t have anything worth writing to say. But to be fair, she told Lakisha that the low and bottom tone of her voice was her money in her pocket. Simon took the opportunity to get him some presumably long awaited sugar from Lakisha. He started off by telling her he could actually kiss her after that performance and Lakisha invited him to come on with. Encouraged by the audience, host Ryan Seacrest instead led Ms. Jones to Mr. Cowell, and she obliged him with a gentle smooch on the lips. After several failed attempts of removing Lakisha’s shimmering lip gloss from his lips, Simon told Lakisha that she took a song that he was unfamiliar with and absolutely nailed it. Simon concluded he was so glad that she was back. Translation, I’m so glad that you aren’t leaving so I can get me some more of that sweet sugar. Appearing on stage with a darker do, Blake Lewis had the pleasure of following Lakisha. It was certainly going to be hard to top smooching top judge Simon Cowell, but Blake was up for the challenge. Blake picked one of Bon Jovi’s most popular songs, “You Give Love A Bad Name”, but as Jon said Blake’s rendition of the song was an adventurous one. You could tell Jon Bon Jovi was not completely sold on Blake’s version of the song. In fact, he said he felt Blake was really rolling the dice on this one. Is it just me or does anyone else find it strange that a self-proclaimed non betting man, such as Jon Bon Jovi, uses so many betting analogies? First of all, I can see what Jon meant about there being 16 bars of the song where no one was singing, in what’s supposed to be a singing competition. But on the other hand, I think Jon was a little jealous of Blake’s interpretation of his song. Songs to singers and songwriters are like children, and no one wants some one coming in and changing their sweet little baby into something funky, fresh and radical. Anyway, I think that Blake sang just enough of the song to show that he could sing it. While at the same time sending the message to all the artists out there watching that as soon as the American Idol competition is over, the Blake Chop Shop of beats is open for business and accepting new clients. Hey Jon, you were the one that advised the Idols to make the song their own and that is exactly what Blake did. Randy gave Blake the award for most original version of a song on American Idol. He went on to say that Blake took a leap of faith and turned out a hot performance in the process. Paula said that Blake’s performance was amazing. She also claimed there was a twinkle in Jon Bon Jovi’s eye and that he was digging what Blake was doing. I disagree I think what she saw in Jon’s eye was angst and I don’t think he dug at all what Blake did to his song. After Paula pointed out that Simon’s mom (who incidentally looks younger than him) was thoroughly enjoying Blake’s song, Simon said that 50% of the people listening to the song would hate it, whereas the other 50% would love it. But Simon said that was absolutely the right thing to do. What’s more, Simon commended Blake on being a very brave young man. And then Simon predicted that Blake’s massive risk is what would keep him in the competition next week. Not surprisingly, Chris Richardson was up next. This means Melinda was closing out the show. Is there some unwritten American Idol rule that mandates that a diva closes out the show? I’ll have to investigate that. But getting back to the resident heartthrob. Chris too had to answer a fan question before he could sing. Chris’ fan wanted to know what he tells himself before he walks out onto the stage. Chris seemed to be at a lost for words, but the general gist of his self talk was just have fun. Chris proved to be just as brave as Blake, as he chose to tackle one of Bon Jovi’s most popular songs. The haunting ballad “Wanted Dead or Alive”. Chris knew it was a daunting task, considering how Season 5 contestant Chris Daughtry performed the song last year. But I agree with Chris someone had to sing it. Jon’s only advice to Chris (besides learning the words) was to find the bluesy notes, because the song was written to have a blues like sound. Jon said if Chris could do that he would survive another week. I think Chris was a little ahead of the music. But let’s face it, as long as Chris keeps singing and doesn’t forget the words he is going to do well. He is a sexy, smoldering young man with tons of stage presence.  Phil might be able to out sing Chris, but Chris can out perform him any day. Randy liked what Chris did with the song. He even commended him on the R&B twist he put on the song. Paula said Chris didn’t have to worry about taking the rap for performing the extremely popular song, because he did his thing. All in all, Paula said that it was turning out to be a great night. Simon sourly stated that he felt Chris did as much as he could do with the song, because it is not his style of music. Unfortunately, Simon said he wasn’t sure if Chris’ performance was good enough to sustain him another week. Melinda Doolittle rounded out the lineup. When Melinda met Jon, she admitted that she was just learing to rock. But Jon assured Melinda that he could teach her what she needed to know. So Melinda put her confidence in Jon and selected one of his newer tracks, a song called “Have A Nice Day”.  A smart decision, since the newer Bon Jovi tunes have a more country feel to them. And I’ve always said that Country Music is just R&B song by people with funny southern accents. Jon Bon Jovi proved to a good tutor; as he recommended Melinda take the song to church. Melinda was happy to oblige, saying that she liked church.  Melinda on the other hand, turned out to be a good pupil. She might as well have lit the stage on fire after her performance because she officially wrecked it for the other contestants. I wish she was singing into the mic stand because, an appropriate ending to her song would have been kicking stand down as if to say in your face America.  Rock on Melinda. Randy dampened the mood by saying that he didn’t think it was Melinda’s best performance, but that nonetheless it was a great performance. He then likened her to Tina Turner, music to an R&B singer’s ears. Paula officially dubbed Melinda a rock star. Simon co-signed Randy’s comments, likening Melinda’s to a young Tina Turner. Simon’s final word was that Melinda’s vocals were in a different league than the other singers. Tomorrow will be interesting. I’m think Phil will finally be voted off. And since there will be two contestants departing, I think Chris or LaKisha will be joining him. I love LaKisha, but I’d rather it be her than Chris, just so we can have a more balanced competition.

 

 

“Three Boys and Three Girls Seek to Change the World with Heartfelt Songs”   Finally we got an opportunity to say “bye- bye ya” to Sanjaya.  Although he was cute and comical to watch, he was really starting to wear on my nerves. But don’t fret.  Those of you who are fans of Mr. Malakar will undoubtedly be seeing a lot more of him in the future. With his popularity and well coifed hair, it won’t be long before the TV and movie producers start a calling. But enough about the booted Sanjaya, let’s turn our attention to this week’s competition. Billed as the week American Idol gives back, host Ryan Seacrest assures us that our votes will not only save our favorite contestant, but that it will also save lives. In fact News Corp, pledged to donate 10¢ for every call made to the vote line, for the first 50 million calls. That equates to 5 million dollars. When you talk about giving back to the community, who better than Bono, front man of the mega group U2, to mentor the remaining six American Idol Contestants. I just want to pause and say that I am glad that the producers and stars of American Idol are championing the plight of people who live in Africa as one of their causes. For too long our nation has touted itself as the savior of the world, but the salvation they extend rarely reaches the nation from whence all life sprang. Anyway back to the show. First up was Chris Richardson, who selected the song “Change the World” by Eric Clapton. According to Chris, he chose this song because it defines the theme of the week. Chris initially appeared on stage seated on a stool, with his acoustic guitarist seated nearby on the steps. However, in the middle of the song Chris grabbed the mic and began to work the stage. I liked Chris’ performance, especially the little country twain in his voice, which I’m sure he intended to come off more as R&B flavor.  Judge Randy Jackson seemed to really liked Chris’ performance. As a matter of fact, Randy called the performance hot and he said he could tell Chris was in it to win it. Paula Abdul said Chris’ performance was fantastic and that he picked a great song and did really well with it. She added that she was proud and excited about the journey he has made on American Idol. Simon said that Chris reminded him of when they first saw him, when at the time the judges thought to themselves this guy has a lot of potential. Simon went on to say that Chris delivered a good vocal that had a lot of soul and sex appeal in it. Simon topped off his comments by telling Chris he thought he did very well. Melinda Doolittle was second in line and she chose the song “There Will Come a Day” by Faith Hill. Melinda picked this song primarily because it talks about a hope for a better tomorrow.  Not surprisingly, Melinda Doolittle did a lot with her simple little song.  So I want to talk about her appearance. I just want to give big ups to her stylist. They have finally got Melinda looking like the superstar she is destined to be. For future references, Melinda should never wear her hair shorter than it has been on the last two shows and the chunky necklace was the one accessory she’s been sorely missing. Randy did really have much to say either. After all, how do you critique a flawless performance? Randy summed it up by telling Melinda that she had arrived. Paula told Melinda there was no one like her and that she was magical. After making Melinda promise she wouldn’t act like she was surprised by his praise, Simon stated that what he loved about Melinda’s performance was that it was not a copycat performance (you ain’t never lied Simon, and I am a Faith Hill fan). Simon praised Melinda for making it appear as if she was the first artist to record the song. Simon wrapped his comments by calling the performance a vocal master-class. Blake Lewis followed Melinda, with his rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine”. But first Blake had to answer a fan question. The fan wanted to know the biggest sacrifice Blake has had to make since becoming a contestant on American Idol. Blake humbly responded by saying being away from his family and friends. Blake too appeared on stage seated on a stool, but he was accompanied by a pianist. Blake picked a somber, yet powerful, song, which allowed him to deliver a poignant 1-2 knockout punch to the audience and possibly a devastating blow to his competition Although he praised his song choice, Randy wasn’t feeling Blake’s performance. Paula, on the other hand, really enjoyed Blake’s performance. She said it was the first time they’ve seen him give a truly sensitive and emotional performance, which in her opinion goes a long way. Simon was having a little difficulty with his comments, because he felt Blake picked one of the best songs of all time, but at the same time he didn’t go anywhere with it. However, Simon felt given the song he sang, the important thing was that Blake sang it with sincerity. After an introspective into how our contributions to Idol Gives Back can help the people in the land of Africa, Lakisha Jones took to the stage. After finding herself in the bottom two last week, I just knew Lakisha was going to rock the mic.  Ms. Jones picked the song “I Believe”, by former American Idol winner Fantasia, to try to reclaim her front-runner status. In my opinion, Lakisha always has it going on. And tonight was certainly no different. But sadly, I feel like she is going to find herself rounding out the bottom of the list when It comes down to the final ratings of the Divalicious American Idol babes. I fear she will once again find herself in the bottom two this week. Randy said that Lakisha gave a great performance. However he pointed out a few pitch problems and ultimately stated that he didn’t feel it was one of her best performances. When the audience protested, Randy’s comments he admitted that it was a very hard song to sing (apparently not for Fantasia). Paula said there’s no denying that Lakisha is a powerhouse vocalist, but that since Fantasia is such a unique vocalist she had a hard time getting past the Fantasia version of the song. As a writer it is always difficult to try and succinctly sum up what Paula Abdul is saying, so thank goodness Simon Cowell takes it upon himself to frequently translate her comments. Simon said that Paula meant to say that she preferred the Fantasia version, to which I must say I agree.  In his own words, Simon said he had an issue with Lakisha’s shouting. Simon was unable to finish his comments, because of what else uproarious shouting from the audience. Phil Stacey appeared in the number five spot this week. Before his performance, Phil also had to field a fan question. His question, “what do you miss most about home?” His reply, his two little babies who are normally with him, but were currently visiting their grandparents in Oklahoma. Phil picked the song “The Change”, by country great Garth Brooks. When it comes to Phil, it’s so sad. I mean he has this incredible voice, but I just can not get into him. He has absolutely no stage presence. He sang this amazingly heartfelt ballad, but he just seemed so blasé about it. He is just proof positive that just because you have a beautiful voice doesn’t’ guarantee that you will become a big recording artist. This time Randy felt the performance. And he showed it by congratulating Phil on delivering a very good and strong vocal on a great song. Paula too was feeling Phil. She said she felt like he found his comfort and that the performance was his best.  Simon started off by assuring Phil that he really liked him and was happy that he had a good would last week during country week. Simon followed up by suggesting that Phil stick with the country vibe, because it was more suited to his voice. Simon also said that if Phil could connect with the two elements (song choice and voice tone) then he would do well, because, in Simon’s words, he thinks people like him. Allow me to translate the recommendation that Phil pursue country music. Country and Gospel music fans are a lot more accepting of artist with less than spectacular stage presences. But hey, they country music artist make tons of money, so I say go for it Phil. Not surprisingly, a diva closed out the show. This week it was the spectacular Jordin Sparks. Jordin chose the song “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. Looking like she was dressed for the prom, Jordin belted out a heart-wrenching song that truly brought the house down. Randy thought Jordin’s performance was phenomenal. He even said he thought it was the best vocals by any contestant ever.  Paula said Jordin picked an amazing song that only someone with great vocals could do. Paula ended her comments by saying that Jordin did a lovely job and calling her glorious. Simon said he thought Jordin was fantastic and even though the song she sang is about 60 years old, he believes Jordin could turn it into a hit record today. Everyone gave amazing performances this week, but as I already stated I think that Lakisha will probably find herself on the chopping block this week. Joining her in the bottom two will probably be Phil.

 

“El Ocho Contestants go Muy Loco as They Sing Sweet Latin Beats”   I must say I was totally shocked to see contestant Gina Glocksen voted off last week. It would have been a real treat to see her work with mega superstar Jennifer Lopez, who was this week’s guest coach. Jennifer’s mission was to school the eight remaining American Idol contestants on the finer points of Latin music. According to Ms. Lopez, the secret to the Latin groove is passion. She said told the contestants that their mission should be to make the audience feel good. Up first was Melinda Doolittle. Melinda chose the song “Sway”. During the coaching session, Jennifer was surprised that Melinda let her catch a glimpse of her sultry, sexy side.  Even so, Jennifer wanted Melinda to walk out on the stage and sing the song like she was the sultriest and sexiest singer that ever sang that song. Melinda said this would be her biggest challenge because in her words, “I’m so not sexy”. The little black dress and the tousled wig she was wearing must have put Melinda in the mood, because she gave a dazzling performance. Of course, the vocals were on point. But most importantly, she accomplished the mission her instructor gave her. Judge Randy Jackson said Melinda delivered another solid performance. Paula Abdul called Melinda’s performance very sultry and smooth. Paula also pointed out how lovely Melinda looked. Then Paula mentioned that the performance was not one in which Melinda had to wow us, instead it was subtle, sexy and beautiful. Simon Cowell sadly informed Melinda that it had to happen eventually, referring to the fact that he now had to give her a bad review. He said he didn’t like Melinda’s performance because the song she selected is all about personality and the way she sang it made her appear much older than she was. Simon went on to say that he found the performance very cabaret like and a bit lazy. A funny moment occurred, when host Ryan Seacrest asked Melinda what she thought about Simon’s comments. Melinda said Simon has been wanting to say something bad about her and she’s glad he finally got a chance to do so. Two Diva’s in a row. I never thought it would happen, at least not until the finals. But up next was Lakisha Jones. Before we saw clips of Lakisha’s coaching session with Jennifer Lopez, Lakisha had a sit down with Ryan Seacrest to answer a viewer’s question. The viewer want to know what spurred Lakisha to try out for the show. Lakisha said it was simply she wanted to provide a better life for her and her daughter. Lakisha also said she wanted to share the wonderful gift that God gave her with the world. Lakisha chose the Miami Sound Machine’s hit “Conga”, which she needed help pronouncing.  Jennifer Lopez said that Lakisha is an amazing singer, so she was more interested in getting help on her movements. I think Lakisha not only learned how to say the word conga correctly, she took that song and owned it. She truly made it her own. And her dance moves weren’t so bad either. I really enjoyed her performance. Randy agreed with me, by saying that Lakisha made the song her own. He said the difference between her performance and Melinda’s was that it looked like Lakisha was having fun. In the end Randy dubbed the performance hot. Paula went straight to the fashion assessment, telling Lakisha that she too looked lovely. Then Paula said she did not feel Lakisha’s performance as much as Randy did (perhaps those pain meds she’s on kicked in after Melinda’s performance). Paula went on to say that Lakisha delivered a real safe performance.  Even though the audience and Randy were hissing while Paula made her assessment, Simon said he actually agreed with her. He told Lakisha that although she was having fun up there he was not sure how much fun the people at home were having. Chris Richardson followed Lakisha. He chose the song “Smooth” by Santana featuring vocals by Rob Thomas.  Chris also needed a little assistance with his Spanish phonetics. In addition, Jennifer suggested he sing the song in a higher key than he had planned to sing it in. Ya’ll know I love Chris, but I guess the memo about the key change got lost in interoffice mail, because I don’t think Chris and the musicians were on the same beat.  But apparently the in studio judges heard something totally different because Randy said the performance was very cool. Paula called it hot and sexy (I know he is but what about his performance). Simon said he wasn’t going to call it the best vocals he’d ever heard, but he said he preferred it to the other two because it was more contemporary. Haley Scarnato was the fourth contestant to meet with Jennifer Lopez. And to what seemed Jennifer’s surprise (or horror), Haley selected the song “Turn the Beat Around”, another great hit by Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine. Jennifer remarked that it’s a tough song to sing, because it’s all about the rhythm. When Haley said she needed a beat, the brought fellow contestant Blake Lewis in. He beat box, while Haley sang. Jennifer said the song was almost like a rap and that it was the kind of song you have to throw at people and she suggested that Haley do just that if she wanted to remain in the competition this week. Using all her assets, Haley appeared on stage in pair of black short shorts and an animal print halter top. I was a little nervous about Haley singing this song, but then I remember she is from San Antonio. She probably listens to Latin music all the time. And as a fellow Texan, I know it is hard to escape the Latin vibe so she is probably immersed in it everyday. In my opinion, she actually did a really good job. Randy was certainly on a total different wavelength. He felt like Haley’s performance was truly karaoke. Paula said the song was not a singer’s song, but a fun song and it seemed like Haley had fun up there. Simon told Haley that she had a great strategy, wear as little clothes as possible, because she could not win the competition with her voice. Something tells me he will be getting some flack about that comment in the morning. Phil Stacey followed Haley. He chose the Santana song “Maria, Maria”, which showcased vocals by Wyclef Jean. While he was practicing the song, Phil kept getting distracted by the fact that a superstar was in his midst. So Jennifer recommended that he sing the song again but only think about one particular person. When Phil sang the song again, incorporating her advice, he ended up giving Jennifer goose bumps I didn’t get the goose pimples Jennifer hoped that I would, but Phil has definitely got a good voice on him. Still something is lacking and I’m not quite sure what it is yet. He had the hat on, so I wasn’t distracted by his head and pointy ears. Maybe it’s the lack of passion. He seems too controlled. Oh I know what it is; he’s come down with a case of the McPhever. Randy said that Phil failed to connect to the passion in the song and that overall the performance was pretty boring. Paula commented that Phil gave a good vocal performance with the exception of the crack on the end. Simon said that Phil was a nice guy and that he chose a good song. Simon continued by saying, if he was being honest he’d have to say that his performance had no originality. Simon added that the performance was lifeless and flat and to make matter worst that his voice cracked in the end. The spectacular Jordin Sparks followed Phil. And she too got to sit and chat with Ryan Seacrest as he relayed a fan’s question to her. The fan wanted to know what type of music Jordin would pick to perform on the show. Jordin replied that she liked music from the 80’s, a decade she almost missed since she wasn’t born until 1989. Jordin also picked a Gloria Estefan, Miami Sound Machine song, “The Rhythm is Going to Get You”. Jennifer said that Jordin had a beautiful, sweet voice, which reminded her of Michael Jackson when she sang the song. Jennifer said Jordin was also concerned about her moves, so she gave her a few pointers. When Jordin appeared on stage she lit it up. I thought the song was very well suited for her and she rocked it out. Although I know it probably is a tedious task to get it that way, I also want to say that I much prefer it when Jordin wears her hair long and straight. It makes her look more sophisticated and a little less girly. Randy seemed to really like Jordin’s performance. In fact he called it the “yo” factor on blast – translation she’s hot. Paula said Jordin was authentic and adorable. Someone obviously spiked Simon’s salsa with a downer, because he was simply not feeling the contestants tonight. He said Jordin’s performance was just ok and that there was nothing stunning or spectacular about it. Blake Lewis was next in line. And he chose to sing a song by Jennifer Lopez’s husband Marc Anthony, called “I Need to Know”. With Blake she tried to reiterate that imparting passion into his song is what Latin music is all about. I’m not sure if Blake capture the passion J-Lo was looking for, but I thought his performance was as hot as the red shirt and sneakers he was wearing. Randy too thought it was a hot song choice and performance. Paula said it was a smart performance that captured the essence of who Blake is. Blake even brought Simon out of his funk. After saying Blake made the best song choice, Simon called the performance the best of the night. Of course they saved the best, or at least the most interesting, performance of the night for last. That’s right none other than the incredible Sanjaya Malakar. Sanjaya really immersed himself into the Latin theme, by picking a Spanish language song called “Besame Mucho”. Jennifer Lopez seemed really impressed with Sanjaya and even giddily remarked to the camera not once but twice that she loved Sanjaya. She even predicted that Simon might be impressed. Looking like Ricky Martin’s love child, Sanjaya appeared on stage with some new, yet well placed, facial hair. It’s funny, but I swear that Sanjaya sounded better singing in a foreign language than in English. I was digging his performance, then he sang a couple of verses in English and I was like here we go again. Then he switched back to Spanish, and it was bearable again. Well Latin music is certainly hot, so maybe he should just focus on that aspect of the industry. Randy commended Sanjaya on being one of the smartest contestants, and then he surprised him by telling him his performance was actually pretty good. Paula said the performance had a good pitch and was smooth. She topped her comments off by calling the performance very, very nice. There’s no pleasing Simon. He said he couldn’t understand a word Sanjaya sang (not his fault you don’t speak Spanish) that he sounded like a 14 year old (a lot of 14 years old sell and buy CD’s), but despite all of this criticisms Simon finally conceded that the performance was not horrible. So when all is said and done, I think Phil may be on his way out this week. With Haley and Chris joining him in the bottom three. Of course, I have a sneaky suspicion that one of the Diva’s might also find herself in the bottom three. I guess we’ll just have to tune in tomorrow to see how it all goes down. I kind of hope Haley sticks around for another week because I hear that next week is country week, with Martina McBride,  and this would be a great opportunity for Haley to show us what she’s got, besides those long pretty legs.

 

 

“Calm, Cool and Classic – The Nine American Idols Sing Classic American Songs with American Legend Tony Bennett”   First of all let me apologize for not posting a recap of last week’s show, which featured musical coaching by Gwen Stephani and a hair- raising performance by Mr. Malakar.  My part of the world was experiencing some severe thunderstorms and as a result we lost power.  With all the hoopla surrounding Chris Sligh’s departure and Sanjaya’s Mohawk, by the time I got a chance to watch the show, it was truly a moot point to post the recap. But I am back up and running and ready to deliver the dish on the American Idol Season 6 contestants. This week the remaining nine contestants got a chance to try their hands at some of America’s classic songs. Assisting them in their efforts was a true American icon, octogenarian Mr. Tony Bennett. Kicking off the show was Blake Lewis.  Blake chose the song “Mack the Night”. Mr. Bennett didn’t seem too happy with how Blake was trying to arrange the song. He told Blake that this song was pre-wrapped and recommended that Blake keep in mind that the song has a very soft gangster edge to it. Mr. Bennett then expressed to the camera that he hoped that Blake would slow the tempo of the song down when he actually performed the song. With all his beat boxing and unique musical arrangements, you sometimes forget that Blake is actually a very good singer. I thought he took the song from soft gangster to straight up playa. There were some parts of the song in the middle were it seemed liked he was struggling, but overall I enjoyed it. Judge Randy Jackson said Blake’s performance was a cool way to start of the show. Randy went on to say that Blake has a cool jazz vibe to him and the song was a perfect choice for him. However, Randy also pointed out that there were a few pitch problems, but overall Randy said he liked Blake’s performance. Paula Abdul said that Blake personified the word pizzazz and then she called him a hip cat. Simon Cowell told Blake that he made a good song choice and that he performed it well. Simon followed up his initial comments by grading Blake’s performance, giving him 7 out of 10 and the band 8 out of 10. Next up was Phil Stacey, who I thought did an excellent job last week and did not deserve to be in the bottom three. I was also truly grateful that he wore a hat. Phil said Tony Bennett was his hero and Tony returned the favor by stating that Phil is one of the better singers he’s heard, and he wasn’t just comparing Phil to the other American Idol competitors I was a little disturb by the fact that Phil had obviously not had an opportunity to shave his head, before meeting with Mr. Bennett. My first thought was, he must have decided to grow his hair back, but then he appeared on stage clean shaven. Bald head beaming for all to see. Phil picked the song “Night and Day” to showcase his classy side and he did an awesome job. I definitely did his mentor, Mr. Bennett, proud. The only thing Phil’s performance was lacking was a fedora, which would have literally topped it off. The performance was lost on Randy. He said Phil’s performance lacked connection and passion. Paula remarked that Phil was reminiscent of a young Frank Sinatra (a comment that drew an audible and questionable “what?” from Simon). On the downside, Paula said she needed to see more joy and personality from Phil’s performances. Following up on the Frank Sinatra comment, Simon wanted to know exactly which Frank Sinatra Paula was comparing Phil to.  Paula politely stated that it was her opinion. Simon apparently accepted her response and turned his attention back to Phil. Simon said Phil’s performance had all the joy of someone singing in a funeral parlor. Simon added that the song was completely and utterly gloomy and dark. What’s more, Simon said it had no life. Can you say ouch? Something tells me  we will be saying goodbye to Phil this week. Following Phil was Melinda Doolittle. The do a lot girl, picked the song “I Got Rhythm”, which most of us remember being performed by Dorothy Dandridge. Tony Bennett was equally impressed with Melinda’s voice. In fact, he called her the best singer all day. Of course, you have to wonder if they met with Mr. Bennett in the same order as they appeared on stage. Anyway, Tony said that if Melinda kept believing in herself she would do great, because in his words she has a lot of promise. Apparently, Melinda finally got hooked up with the professional stylist, because she looked amazing. I loved the new straight, choppy hairstyle. And for the first time since she’s been in the competition, she looked like a star. Before she always looked like she was trying to blend in with the woodwork. Now as far as the singing goes, Melinda did not fail to deliver. Once again she knocked the ball clear out of the park. Randy said every week Melinda comes out and gives us a lesson on singing. He went on to say that Melinda always interprets the lyrics of the song and the feelings that they portray. Then he said to America, this is how you do it.  Paula continued the praise, calling Melinda a master-class for everyone to watch and commending her on delivering a flawless performance. Party popper Simon said he didn’t like the beginning of the song, calling it a little cabaret. But he said he loved the end. Then somewhat sadly, Simon said he didn’t think they would ever be able to criticize Melinda. Simon said this was a problem (I guess just for him), because they (the judges) like being mean to people occasionally Chris Richardson was next to appear on stage, but before he sang he had a meet and greet with host Ryan Seacrest, during which Ryan asked Chris a question sent in by a viewer. The viewer wanted to know what Chris considered most when choosing a song.  Chris said first and foremost he picks a song he is comfortable with, then he tries to decide whether or not it would be something the audience would like and finally he considers if it will please the judges. Chris chose a Duke Ellington song, which he hadn’t, sang before. Chris hadn’t learned all the words to the song before he met with Mr. Bennett, son the only real advice we got to see Tony give Chris was to learn the lyrics. Donned in the fedora Phil should have worn, Chris was a bona fide cool cat as he sang the words to the song “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”. I must say I really like Chris. To me he is the epitome of a pop artist. And this week, he put a real cool, contemporary spin on a classic swing song. Randy said Chris came out with a vengeance and delivered one of his best performances of the season. Paula said Chris maintained his artistic integrity and delivered a hip and cool performance. She too thought it was Chris’ best performance. This time Simon wholeheartedly jumped on the bandwagon by saying that he thought Chris’ performance was very good and believable. Simon also predicted that Chris’ performance would be one of the strongest of the night. Performing dead smack in the middle of the show, was the electrifying Jordin Sparks. Jordin chose the song “On a Clear Day”. She said she picked it because it was such a sweet song. Oh my God, I feel a toothache coming on for Simon. Mr. Bennett was impressed that Jordin sang the song completely in tune. He also liked her improvisation, which he said was right on and called for. Jordin said the song was sweet, but I thought she appeared all grown up and controlled singing the song. It was not sugary at all. In fact, it was sophisticated and smart. Randy commended Jordin on her control and stated that she looked like a pro singing the song. Paula called Jordin a magnet of joy. I’m not even going to try to capture the rest of what she said. It was basically a bunch of gibberish, but rest assured Paula liked the performance and predicted that Jordin would sail through, presumably to the next round. Simon thought Jordin sang the song well, but he said unlike Chris she failed to make the song young and current. After Jordin, was the mildest rebel I know, Ms Gina Glocksen. Gina selected a song called “Smile”, written by Charlie Chaplin. Tony Bennett said this song gives you hope in dark times and when he sings it he tends to think about 9/11 and the soldiers in Iraq. Tony also said that Gina sang it beautifully. I have to agree with Mr. Bennett, Gina sang the song beautifully. Unlike Phil’s performance, I predict the judges will definitely feel the connection in Gina’s song. Randy raved about the Rocker Girl, Gina, delivering a very nice and controlled performance. Paula must have somehow managed to gather her wits about her, because this time her comments were coherent and to the point. She said Gina’s performance was flawless understated, beautiful and sentimental. Simon said he couldn’t rave about Gina’s vocals, because the two girls that appeared before her completely out sang her. I didn’t really think that was a fair comment, because he was supposed to rating her performance and not comparing her to the previous contestants. And now the moment we’ve all been waiting for, it was time for Sanjaya Malakar to take the stage. Surprisingly, when Mr. Bennett met Mr. Malakar, it was the former, who first professed, to being a fan of the latter. Tony said what he really liked about Sanjaya was that he dared to be different. Tony also said that Sanjaya was a really good singer, something Sanjaya said he hope to prove to America this week. With this week’s classic genre, he might actually have a shot at accomplishing of his goal. Sanjaya appeared on stage with simple, slicked-back hair and a white suit he must have borrowed from John Travolta’s alter ego Tony Manero (from the movie Saturday Night Fever). Sanjaya chose the song “Dancing Cheek to Cheek”, to showcase his vocal stylings. While I must say his performance this week was a lot better than his past ones, I am not sure this kid is ready for the big time.  Someone get Nickolodean on the phone, because this kid needs a sitcom not a record deal. They could call the show “Meet the Malakar’s”. I’ve already got the first season spec’ed out, so someone at the network needs to holler at ya girl. Turning back to the reviews, Randy said he couldn’t even comment on the vocals anymore. Instead, Randy acknowledged what a great entertainer that Sanjaya has turned into. Paula called Sanjaya charming and she said she gets why people love him. Vocally, though, Paula said Sanjaya was a little off. Simon said he would try a different tactic this week, so he praised Sanjaya and sarcastically deemed his performance incredible. Haley Scarnato had the distinct pleasure of following Sanjaya. Haley had a little sit down with Ryan before her performance to address a fan’s question. Her fan wanted to know if Haley was more nervous singing before the crowd or waiting for the judges comments. Haley respond that she does get antsy singing for the audience, but that waiting for Simon’s comments drives her insane, mainly because you never know what kind of mood he is going to be in. But Haley also admitted that receiving a compliment from Simon means the world to the contestants. . Haley’s song of choice was “Saving My Love For You”.  The only advice that Mr. Bennett gave Haley was to make sure she imparted that she was singing the song to just one person, so as to maintain the integrity of the song. I thought Haley did a good job with the song, but I could help but feel like I was watching a beauty pageant performance. Maybe it was the green cocktail dress she had on or the big fluffy Texas hair do she was sporting. I think Haley has a great future being a pageant coach or judge and she is from a state that truly indulges in that sort of fare. I myself have participated in a few pageants, so I know what I’m talking about. The judges didn’t seem to dig the performance either. Randy defaulted to Paula and Paula immediately pulled the fashion card, by stating that green was a good color for Haley. At a lost for words, both Paula and Randy asked Simon to tell Haley what he thought. After chiding the other two judges for being rude, because they wouldn’t tell Haley what they really thought about her performance, Simon offered his comments. He simply said, he thought Haley had great legs. Then he said something more substantial by adding that it was a great style of music for her, but that the performance was little pageantry. Big surprise, Lakisha Jones closed out this week’s show. Strangely, it seems as if she and Melinda are the only two who are ever bestowed with that honor. Lakisha chose the song “Stormy Weather”. Tony said Lakisha was really good and recommended that she sing the song just like it was written. He said if she hit the big note on the end she would do well. Lakisha definitely wins the best appearance award this week. She was totally divalicious. And you know that she hit every note on the head, especially the highly anticipated big one at the end. Unfortunately for the other contestants, LaKisha completely rained on everyone else’ parade with a sultry, spectacular performance. Although he felt like she started off the song a little rough and had a few pitch problems here and there, Randy said Lakisha worked it out in the end. Ultimately, Randy dubbed her performance da bomb. For some reason Paula went straight into the fashion assessment, which I thought she only used when she didn’t have anything positive to say about the performance.  I can think of several wonderful things Paula could have said about the girl’s actual vocals. Nevertheless, Paula told Lakisha that she this was the most gorgeous she ever looked and decided to throw in there that that she sounded beautiful too. Then Paula threw in some nonsensical statement about Lakisha’s performance proving that we all love Tony Bennett (what?).  Meanwhile back in the real world, Simon remarked that Lakisha was back on form and that she delivered a sassy and great performance. I am not even going to speculate that Sanjaya will be voted off, because we all know that is just not going to happen at this stage of the competition. So I would predict that Phil Stacey and Haley Scarnato will be in the bottom two, with Phil ultimately leaving us.

 

“The British Came and The Talent Went”     Well, last week former backup singer Brandon Rogers once again became a part of the backdrop. Just a little footnote in the American Idol history book. But the big buzz during the days preceding this week’s American Idol was the radical support Sanjaya Malakar is getting from websites like VotefortheWorst.com and radio talk show host Howard Stern. So maybe I jumped the gun by assuming that Sanjaya was drawing his support from America’s teeny boppers. But then again maybe not. This week the show’s theme was the British Invasion, which began with the Beatles in 1964. Like all of the American Idol Season Six contestants, I was not born then. So I was extremely grateful for the show’s summary on what artists were actually considered a part of this so-called British Invasion. Peter Noone and Lulu, two artists who topped the charts during that era, served as the contestant’s vocal coaches. Peter worked with the boys and Lulu with the girls. Haley Scarnato was up first. She picked the song “Tell Him”, which was originally song by Billie Davis in 1963. Haley said she chose so she could show a not so sweet side of herself. Lulu recommended that Haley shorten her phrasing of the words of the song. Then she told Haley that even though a lot has been said about big voices in the competition, there is a place for everyone. I think Haley did a good job. I also think that the professional stylists are now on the scene. She definitely showed her not so sweet side with  brown hot pants, a  gold halter top and stiletto heels, not to mention the little shimmy shake she did at the end of the song. I think Haley took Lulu’s advice to heart and ran with it. She was out to claim her spot in the competition. Randy Jackson also thought Haley did a good job. In fact he said that she picked the perfect song choice and that she was back in the competition. Randy also added that the performance was Haley’s best to-date. Paula Abdul said commended Haley on letting her flirtatious side show and on a good performance.  Simon Cowell called Haley a naughty little thing (I guess he removed minx from his onscreen vocabulary after last year’s fiasco with hooked on phonics challenged contestant Kelly Pickler). Simon went on to say the performance was fun and young, but a bit shrieky in the middle. Referring to her provocative look, Simon ended by stating that people will be talking about a lot more than her singing after the show. Heartthrob in the making, Chris Richardson, was next up. Chris picked a song called “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying”, by Gerry and the Pacemakers. Chris said his goal this week was to finally nail a song. He also said he wanted to show the world that he could actually sing. Judging from the comments Peter Noone made before Chris’ performance, I am not sure Mr. Noone was convinced. Chris appeared on stage seated and with a guitarist. Although he later stood and sang into the camera. I don’t think Chris took Mr. Noone’s advice, but in my opinion he nailed it. And judging from the response from the audience, they too think he did a bang up job. Randy said that Chris showed a softer side of himself, but more importantly he stated that ever note was in tune and that it might have been one of Chris’ best performances.  Paula said the arrangement and acoustics were very sexy and charming. Simon also said it was Chris’s best performance ever. Simon said the reason it was the best was because Chris’ control on the song was excellent but most importantly because he didn’t make the song sound old fashioned. Although Simon admitted that he did not know the song. Stephanie Edwards followed Chris. She chose the Dusty Springfield song “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”.  Lulu was very impressed with Stephanie and immediately recognized Stephanie’s musical resemblance to my homegirl Beyonce. Looking super sexy in a tight blue, strapless dress and black boots, I think Stephanie did a superb job with the song. Even though were parts of the song that it seemed like she struggled with. Randy said the performance was a little pitchy. Paula told Stephanie that her outfit made the performance contemporary and that she picked the right song, but Paula also cautioned Stephanie about letting her notes fall off.  Simon said he thought that Stephanie was losing her edge as well as her soul. He then called the performance cabaret and stated that he felt Stephanie’s style was becoming far too old. Blake Lewis was up next and selected a Zombie’s song for his British Invasion interpretation. The song he chose was the “Time of the Season”. Peter Noone was impressed with Blake’s updated take on the song. He predicted that Blake would get all of the youngster’s votes and he said that if he performs the song on stage like he did in rehearsals he get the older people’s votes, as well. I think that Blake is unique and I thought he sang the song well, but the whole thing was a little boring to me. I was obviously in the minority, though. Randy really dug Blake’s modern day spin on the 40 year-old song. Paula said she thinks this is the season of Blake and that he has raised the bar. She added that she felt like she was at a concert. Simon said Blake’s performance was a million times better than last weeks. Simon went on to explain that Blake chose the right song. Simon also felt that Blake put his own slant on the song without changing the melody and that Blake’s performance was the strongest one so far. Lakisha Jones was fifth up. And she selected a song that many young people are familiar with because it was sampled by Kanye West. Lulu tried to convince Lakisha to pick another song called “You’re My World”, but in the end Lakisha decided to sing “Diamonds are Forever”. Appearing on stage with a one millions dollars worth of bling and an emerald green dress, Lakisha hit almost every note. I was a little disappointed in her performance, because she already had a clue on how to jazz the song up, courtesy of Mr. West, and she didn’t take it. After pointing out the song is also famous from the James Bond movie with the same title, Randy said he didn’t think it was his favorite performance because it didn’t have enough Lakisha in it. The audience didn’t appreciate Randy’s comments and rewarded him with resounding boos. Paula said she thinks that Lakisha picked the right song. Simon thought the performance was too old-fashioned. He stated that he felt like he was seeing Lakisha in 50 years times and thus it wasn’t his favorite performance. Phil Stacey picked what he called a fun song, a ditty called “Tobacco Road”. Peter Noone said he thought that Phil picked a great song that was perfect for his voice and that had life in it. Then Peter gave Phil the ultimate compliment by stating that he had never heard the song sung as good as Phil sang it. With mic stand in hand, Phil totally rocked the song out. The only thing that could have made it better is if he had donned one of those Beatle’s wigs or sixties’ type berets and some dark glasses. Randy pointed out a few pitch problems, but he also remarked on how good Phil’s upper registry is. All in all Randy said it was a pretty good performance. Paula thought Phil picked a good song for himself, but she too pointed out that the performance was pitchy in spots. Simon said he wasn’t crazy about the performance. He likened it to a third rate bar performance. Simon said Phil didn’t have enough grit in his voice to pull off a song like that. Gracing the stage next was young Jordin Sparks, looking all grown up. Jordin picked a big girl song called “I Who Have Nothing”, to go with her big girl clothes. Lulu was so impressed with Jordin and predicted that she would go all the way to the finale. Jordin sang her little heart and had me reminiscing about every relationship I had that left me brokenhearted. I think that when I song moves you like that the artist can consider their performance a job well done. Randy said even though the song was a tall order, he thought Jordin gave a great, controlled performance. And he predicted that it would be one of the best performances of the night. Paula said it didn’t matter how old (or in this case how young) Jordin is, what matters is she is a great singer. Simon said she sang the song beautifully, but that he felt like jumping off a bridge (like I said job well done), because the song was so gloomy. The controversial Sanjaya Malakar followed Jordin. Sanjaya was torn between two songs “You Really Got Me” and “Something Good “. Peter Noone said Sanjaya was a nice looking young man who just doesn’t have enough experience to sell what he’s got.   Sanjaya admitted to the camera that he doesn’t think he is the best singer in the competition, but he apparently took Peter’s advice and tried to work with what he has, which is appearance and vitality.  As always Sanjaya wins the best hair award and he seems to have had cornered the most adoring fan prize as well. There was a little girl, who looked to be anywhere from 12 to 15 years old totally blubbering over Sanjaya. The singing and performance as a whole, reminded me of one of those Saturday morning show that comes on after the cartoons. Randy said that Sanjaya shocked him by coming out of his shell. Randy said he felt it was Sanjaya’s best performance to date (of course that’s not saying much). Paula said Sanjaya went for it and it was fun to see. Simon simply said the little blubbering girls face says it all. Gina Glocksen picked an oldie but a goody, “Paint it Black” by the renowned Rolling Stones. Lulu recommended that Gina sing the song in a higher key and make it more dramatic. I loved Gina’s new choppy hairdo and the song seemed suited for her, but I think she must have slicked back into the lower key because it seemed a little dismal. Randy said the performance was pitchy in spots and that it was just alright for him. Paula said that Gina’s performance was miles better than last week and that she is just going to have to let loose and do her own thing. Simon expressed to an on the brink of tears Gina that there were moments of complete torture during her song and that vocally it was not good enough. Next up was Chris Sligh, who after buttering up Mr. Noone by telling him his father used to sing his songs to him and by reminding him that he once won the sexiest artist of the year award informed us that he would be singing the Zombies’ “She’s Not There”. Chris performed the bulk of his song in the audience. I liked his interaction with the audience and I really loved his friends’ sign that seem to imply that Chris was bringing Chubby back. His vocals were pretty good too. Randy said the performance started a little rough. He said Chris was ahead of the music, which Randy attributed to Chris’ walking and shaking hands, but Randy felt like he finished strong. Paula also felt like Chris was a little ahead of the beat, but she thought his wardrobe was on point.  Simon said that Chris’ vocals were not the best of the night but that he gave a good performance, because chose a good song and he was fun and personable. Closing out the show was the showstopper herself Ms. Melinda Doolittle. Melinda sang the song “As Long as He Needs Me” from the musical Oliver. Melinda said this is the first song she picked that was out of her comfort zone. She seemed quite comfortable to me. She took a seat on the stairs for the first couple of bars of the song. Although I was not shedding tears like the aforementioned little girl (whose name we found out after Sanjaya’s performance was Ashley) I too deeply felt the emotion Melinda was imparting through this song. Her performance was my second favorite, tied with Chris Richardson’s’. Jordin Sparks was my favorite of the night. Randy disagreed with me, because he felt we saved the best vocals for last. He told Melinda that she had great relative pitch and was a true pro onstage. Paula said that Melinda was in a league of her own. Paula added that Melinda tells a story with her songs that has a beginning, middle and end and that it’s not forced, which makes it beautiful. Simon asked Melinda if she was a really nice as she appears. Melinda said that she hoped she was. Before it was all over Simon concluded that she indeed was that nice. He also stated that Melinda turned a boring song into a sensational performance and that she did it with impeccable vocals. There is no need for me to speculate on who should be voted off, because as I am posting this late everyone knows that Stephanie Edwards got kicked off. A true travesty indeed, as now Sanjaya is guaranteed a spot on the American Idol tour. On the bright side, Stephanie can start working on her album now.

 

 

“D” is for Diana and for Divas - And They all Did the Darn Thang.   Still reeling from the fact that Sabrina Sloan and Sundance Porter were voted off last week, I reluctantly tuned in to American Idol this week. Now don’t get me wrong, I was eagerly anticipating watching the original Diva, Ms. Diana Ross impart words of wisdom and encouragement to the next American Idol, but the show was bittersweet with tw