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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2006 > March
March 2006
4/1: Abdul quintuples her pay
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
According to the New York Post, Paula Abdul’s three-year deal increases her pay from a relatively modest $1 million a year to a more commensurate $5 to $6 million per year. Presumably, Randy and Ryan get comparable figures. Simon gets paid in the neighborhood of $10 mil a year, understandably the most of the four. Fox generates more than $300 million in revenue from “American Idol” so this is just small potatoes for the incredible franchise.
3/31: Country next week
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As noted in this blog, country is the theme for next Tuesday. I’ll probably bring it up again on Tuesday but it’s interesting to note that Kenny Rogers will be appearing on Wednesday’s results show, just a week after appearing on Nashville Star. That man knows how to promote!
3/31: Song selection story
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m working on an “Idol” song selection story even though MTV already did one. Here’s their version.
It provides some insight though not as much as I had hoped. I know many acts won’t let them sing their songs or at the right price. The Beatles is most notable. I remember talking to Jessica Sierra and she wanted to do something by Journey but it couldn’t be cleared. Many acts that were cleared for “Rock Star: INXS” have never been heard on “Idol,” including most major rock acts such as the Rolling Stones, the Who and Led Zeppelin. Has Britney ever been sung on “Idol”?
3/29: Lisa goes home
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As predicted, we lost Lisa Tucker tonight.
I don’t think many people will be too sad about it. She never built up much of a fervor. Her great vocal skills didn’t make up for a general lack of personality. She hasn’t really found herself yet.
I predicted Ace, Bucky and Lisa at the bottom with Lisa out. So I got two out of three of the bottomfeeders right and Lisa correct. Already I’m ahead of last year. I’m two out of three on who gets voted out and 7 out of 9 of the bottom three. Katharine was a modest surprise but as www.dialidol.com noted, she was clustered at the bottom with six others so it was probably very close.
(Sorry if your browser froze up for a time when you came on earlier Wednesday. Apparently, my use of full quotation marks in the subject head of my Paula Abdul item caused that to happen. One of the fine ajc.com folks figured this out and placed the word ‘Idol’ in single quotes and voila! Technical problem solved. Don’t ask me why these things happen. I’m sure the tech folks couldn’t either.)
As for the Ford Fusion ad, did they purposely have Taylor dance with somebody who looks his age? (Okay, okay, cheap shot!) And it’s always delightful to watch Shakira sing about her body parts.
Where will Lisa’s voters go? Who will benefit the most? Will it be Paris? Katharine?
3/28: Seacrest (making) out with Teri Hatcher
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Check out these photos, from Us Magazine… “Desperate Housewives” Teri Hatcher is caught playing kissy poo with Dunwoody grad and Dick Clark wannabe Ryan Seacrest.
3/28: Paula Abdul reups ‘Idol’ 3 more years
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here’s the press release. Eat your heart out, Corey Clarke!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PAULA ABDUL SIGNS NEW MULTI-YEAR DEAL AS “AMERICAN IDOL� JUDGE ON FOX
Paula Abdul has agreed to continue her role as a fan-favorite judge on the hit series AMERICAN IDOL for at least three more years, it was announced today by Peter Liguori, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.
“Paula is an integral member of the AMERICAN IDOL family, and we are excited to have her continue as the show’s beloved judge,� said Liguori. He added: “As someone who rose to the top of the charts as a solo artist, she has unique insights into the contestants’ hopes, dreams and fears.�
“Paula’s warm and nurturing nature is vital to the balance of the show. We are thrilled to have her alongside – or actually in between – Randy and Simon,� added Mike Darnell, Executive Vice President of Special Programming.
“It is truly an honor to be a part of the AMERICAN IDOL phenomenon,� Adbul said. “As an artist myself, it is a pleasure to have a connection with each of the contestants and be able to fully support their dreams and aspirations. They truly inspire and amaze me each week. Of course, I also look forward to putting Simon in his place for years to come.�
Abdul’s music career encompasses worldwide album sales exceeding 40 million records, two No. 1 albums, six No. 1 singles, a Grammy Award, seven MTV Awards, three American Music Awards, two Emmy Awards, two People’s Choice Awards and two Kids’ Choice Awards. She has also been honored with a Star on Hollywood Boulevard and inducted into Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Hall of Fame.
Behind the camera, Abdul is a gifted and recognized choreographer in film, television, video, stage and live tours. Her celebrated work in choreography includes Emmy-winning contributions to “The Tracey Ullman Show,� the film “Coming to America,� Abdul’s own performance on “The American Music Awards� and her choreography for “The Academy Awards,� for which she earned an Emmy nomination. Other triumphs include her award-winning work with Janet Jackson, which garnered two MTV Video Awards; and working with such musical legends as Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Luther Vandross, INXS, Heart and Prince.
Abdul’s choreography contributions in feature film also include the Academy Award-winning “American Beauty,� working with Cuba Gooding Jr. on his Academy Award-winning performance in “Jerry McGuire� and transforming Val Kilmer into Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s “The Doors.�
AMERICAN IDOL continues to dominate as television’s No. 1 show for yet another season. The talent competition is up an amazing +12% among Adults 18-49 versus last year and +14% among Total Viewers, averaging over 31.3 million viewers per telecast.
Fourteen-time Emmy-nominated AMERICAN IDOL is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment, Ltd.; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; Nigel Lythgoe, President, 19 Television; and Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.
-FOX-
3/28: Not so beautiful tonight
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This was a rough night. There wasn’t a lot to feel inspired. The song choices were definitely, as Simon said, indulgent, meaning they were more songs geared to each contestant’s comfort zones than to our pleasure. At least Elliott shook things up and went beyond karaoke.
So who will be the bottom three? Though I liked Bucky and Ace more than usual, I will go with the obvious and predict Lisa, Ace and Bucky with the fewest votes. Lisa’s a goner. Doing a so-so version of a Kelly Clarkson song was the kiss of death. Potential surprise bottom feeder? Mandisa’s indulgence, as Simon says, might hurt her. (Dialidol.com, which uses busy signals as a way to measure popularity, has seven of the 10 clustered at the bottom, so it’s impossible to use it for predictions. The only really safe contestants: Taylor, Kellie & Chris. The developer is trying to tweak the weighting because busy signals go down significantly in the second hour, which might skew his figures. I called all the numbers toward the end of the two-hour window and got virtually no busy signals for anybody.)
1—Elliott Yamin (Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Want to Beâ€?) – He’s taking a song Bo did last year and placing his “soulâ€? bent on it. It’s not a particularly good song, at least one I can imagine will be for the ages. But Elliott really takes it and brings it home. If he was in any remote danger last week, I think he’s safe this time around. Randy: “This boy can sing. Another hot one tonight!â€? Paula: “I loved the arrangement and you made it your own. You’re one funky white boy.â€? Simon: “Great song. Terrible arrangement. Good vocal. And the dancing was hideous.
2— Taylor Hicks (Ray LaMontagne’s “Troubleâ€?) – A great choice for Taylor. Very bluesy, a hit for anyone who listens to Dave FM. He’s feelin’ it but it doesn’t quite take off. Definitely better than last week. Randy: “To me, it wasn’t a great song because it didn’t let you show off.â€? Paula: “It’s nice to see you stand behind the mike and just sing a song.â€? Simon: “I quite like the song. It was an excellent vocal. The only slight problem I have is the styling. It’s very Clay Aiken. It’s all a bit pop school.â€?
3— Paris Bennett (Beyonce’s “Work it Outâ€?) – She is becoming Fantasia Lite. She has the vocal chops but none of the edge. Stiill, it’s one of her better recent performances. She’s confident and in control. Randy: “All I can say, that was fearless. It was the bomb. You worked it out tonight. That was the best performance tonight. America, that’s a hot one right here.â€? Paula: “Those weren’t kid moves! The Pussycat Dolls might be calling you up to star in their shows.â€? Simon: “I thought it was precocious. You know what it reminded me of. It’s like a little girl pretending to be Beyonce. Whoopee!â€?
4—Mandisa (Mary Mary’s “Shackles (Praise You)â€?) – This is a song she clearly is comfortable with, right in the gospel pocket. The church of Mandisa is open and she blows the roof open. But I don’t think it was a fan-building performance, rather one for the already converted, so to speak. Randy: “There’s no question you can definitely sing. Still, for me, the song choices, I don’t know.â€? Paula: “There’s a new religion and 40 million have joined the church of Mandisa.â€? (Hey Paula. Stop stealing my lines!) Simon: “I thought it was a bit indulgent. I didn’t get that. Not for me.â€?
5—Ace Young (Train’s “Drops of Jupiterâ€?) – It’s a good song choice for Ace’s voice. It’s a little overdramatic but he does a solid version. His problem: he adds nothing to the song beyond what Pat Monahan could do. Randy: “Once again, completely the wrong song for you and you didn’t sing it well.â€? Paula: “It’s refreshing after the last two performances. You’ve chosen really great songs. It wasn’t my most favorite. (sic)â€? Simon: “I know what Randy’s saying. The theme is it’s the 21st century. All of you are have a chance tonight to prove that you are as good as the contemporary artists. That wasn’t a great vocal. I thought it was quite karaoke.â€?
6—Katharine McPhee (Chrisina Aguilera’s “The Voice Withinâ€?) – Egads. What’s with that outfit? Did she raid Peter Pan’s wardrobe? Doing Christina is risky. She’s simply not that vocally adept, especially when she tries to bring up the volume. It’s a decent version, but not better than the original. Randy: “You didn’t bring anything new to it. But I know what kind of record you’d do.â€? Paula: “I wouldn’t have changed a thing. You were at your best, on point.â€? Simon: “It was the best tonight. It was almost as good as Christina.â€?
7—Chris Daughtry (Creed’s “What Ifâ€?) – He gives props to Live, his favorite band he covered last week and addresses the so-called “controversy.” He said: “I wanted to take their version and do something with it.â€? Ecch. He’s doing Scott Stapp. Definitely the grungiest thing we’ve heard so far. He does a credible job but ugh, that song just scrapes the bottom of the sewage pit. Randy: “I like the song choice for you. You know the type of record for you. It was sharp, wasn’t your best vocal.â€? Paula: “I’m one of your biggest fans.â€? Simon: “For the first time, I’m going to be negative. You were indulgent. There is a line you don’t cross. Creed would not be seen dead on this show. You have to show a different side of you.â€?
8—Bucky Covington (Tim McGraw’s “Real Good Manâ€?) – He went back to the tried and true for him. In the lower registers, he’s doing well but when he leaps into the higher registers, it gets iffy. Better than average for Bucky. Randy: “This is the right kind of song for you. You’re comfortable in your country suit.â€? Paula: “It’s familiar to you. Be careful of your diction.â€? Simon: “For once, I agree with Paula. I couldn’t understand a thing you said. I thought it was okay. If this was a paid concert, this would be the point I’d go home. It was called winging it.â€?
9—Kellie Pickler (Sara Evans’ “Suds in the Bucketâ€?) – Another female solo. I love this song and Sara’s voice has so much texture. This performance proves Kellie’s vocals lack that depth. It’s decent but just not nearly as good. And it exposes the risk of singing current songs I’ve heard a thousand times. Randy: “I was puzzled by the song choice. This song wasn’t exciting enough for your voice. It didn’t show enough for me.â€? Paula: “You’re way better than that song choice. It didn’t show your range or personality.â€? Simon: “You’ve got six years of songs to choose from. There are thousands of songs. You choose some gimmicky rodeo novelty lassoing song.â€? Wow. That’s harsh. I’d love to hear Sara Evans beg to differ!
10—Lisa Tucker (Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of Youâ€?) – Well, you have to give her credit for taking on Kelly. She hits some really bad notes near the end. She’s always been technically proficient. This is the first time she was offkey. Poor Lisa. She added nothing to the song. This could be it for her. Randy: “It was just an okay version of it. It really wasn’t that good.â€? Paula: “That’s a tough choice. You have to take a twist on the song and make it completely different so there’s no comparison. Simon: “The song was too big for your voice. There were parts during the performance, it was actually painful.â€? “No guts, no glory,â€? Lisa said.
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3/28: Theme tonight - this decade!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Moving from the ’50s last week, we now get to mull over what would be good choices for the singers tonight with the current decade.
Many relatively new songs have been cleared the past couple of years — “Heaven” by Los Lonely Boys (Bo), “Incomplete” by Backstreet Boys (Anthony), “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys (Kinnik), “I Don’t Wanna Be” by Gavin DeGraw (Bo again), “Here For the Party” by Gretchen (Kinnik again), “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts(Carrie), “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield (Ayla). That wasn’t the case the first two or three seasons.
Now that the show is so popular, I’m sure clearing recent songs is much easier. The downside, as folks have noted here before, is that viewers will more likely compare the contestant’s version vs. the one on the radio. That isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Who do you think would do the best job on James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful”? Let’s just hope Paris doesn’t do “My Humps.” And Kellie should stay away from Pink’s “Stupid Girls.” Speaking of stupid, would it be stupid for anybody to dare do a Kelly Clarkson song?
(Shakira, with Wyclef Jean, perform on Wednesday’s results show.)
And my colleague Jill Vejnoska’s story about getting sucked into the vortex that is “Idol” is linked here in case you missed it. It’s hilarious!
3/27: For those non-“Idol” people…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My TV critic colleague Jill Vejnoska, who loves “Law & Order” and has fine taste in TV shows overall, somehow skipped out on “American Idol” all these years. Somehow, those duties fell to me, even before I covered TV on a more full time basis.
But almost as a public duty, as the show has become even more popular than ever, she began watching in January. And despite her deepest inclinations to hate the show and hate it with a passion, she’s gotten sucked in — a bit. At least more than she expected. And she became a fan of Kevin Covais. Don’t ask.
Anyway, how do you deal with the 200 million plus Americans who don’t pay ANY attention to “American Idol.” Do you mock them? Do they mock you? I do find it amusing that every so often, we get someone who goes on this blog, reads it, then posts something like “You guys are all pathetic idiots for following this so-called TV show. Get a life!”
I’ll post Jill’s column later today and it will be in tomorrow’s paper.
3/24: Paris first named Kevin “Chicken Little”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here are some comments from the Kevin Covais print press conference today. (I was having lunch with a friend and missed it.)
Q: So let’s get this done right out the gate. Where do you sit with the whole Chicken Little nickname? Loving it, hating it?
Kevin: I’m loving it because I’m a fun-loving guy and I enjoy that type of stuff. I’m sarcastic and witty and I have a sense of humor, so I really appreciate it and it’s nothing against me. I know that because one of my good friends, Paris Bennett, made it up so I really have nothing against it. It’s all great.
Q: Did it transform your life as much as Ryan said it did when he closed the show?
K. Covais Yes, it really did. Just all for the better. This experience has been amazing and I’m going to take so much out of it. So yes, it transformed my life just completely.
Q: Did your standing up to Simon win you respect from the audience and additional votes, do you think?
K. Covais I think I won respect. As far as the votes, I have no idea. Maybe people voted for me for it; maybe some said, “Oh, he’s arrogant,� and didn’t vote for me because of it. But as far as I’m concerned, I wasn’t even expecting to say what I said but when I said it, I was happy I did because I had taken four weeks of negative comments from him and I kind of just flipped the script a little bit on him. And I think that he actually respected me for it, that I stood up to him because I think he was trying to test me and I think that I passed the test and I think he realized that. So, there’s a respect between me and Simon.
Q: I was curious about this particular report that I read that you and your ex-girlfriend, she announced some breakup in order to get more votes. So what is your final take on that report?
K. Covais Oh, wait. They said I broke up with my girlfriend so I could get more votes?
Q: Yes, they were saying so.
K. Covais I was not aware of that. Just for the record, I broke up with my girlfriend before the voting even started. You can tell that to all the people. But no, I mean, it’s ridiculous. It’s tabloids trying to come up with stuff. Honestly, I broke up with my girlfriend because I just wanted to be friends with her. I’ve got nothing for you, I’m sorry.
3/24: American Idol strongest in world
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I was speaking to 19 Entertainment PR person Vanessa Taub and she mentioned that UK’s “Pop Idol” is unlikely to come back and that “American Idol” is by far the most popular of all the international “Idols.” And there’s a story here noting that Australian Idol may bve on the axe after four years.
Proves that we just have an endless amount of talent here in the United States - or a bizarrely deep capacity for watching “Idol.”
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3/22: Kevin (cluck cluck) is out tonight
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After Kevin Covais gets a sandy makeover on the Ford Fusion beach and Barry pumps his album, Ace, Mandisa and Elliott are safe. I’m glad Elliott was safe and I’m glad www.dialidol.com was wrong. Then Kellie gets a safe call. Chris is safe, too, of course. And so.. is… Paris! Phew!
Now it’s Katharine and she is safe. And ditto with Taylor.
That means Kevin, Lisa and Bucky are the bottom three. I got all three of them correct. Wow!
Lisa is given a reprieve. I predicted Bucky’s departure. Am I right? Nope. Kevin is outta here!
“Chicken Little leaves us!” Ryan said.
The vast anti-Chicken Little crowd sighs in relief. I’m disappointed. I liked having him around for people to beat up. Oh, well. So I’m wrong. I’ve gotten five of six bottom dwellers correct but only one for two so far in who is eliminated.
3/22: Four fantastic performances
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
No Elvis! But two Buddy Holly songs, three Coca-Cola breaks and four great performances.
Two guys that had yet to really sell me up to this point really sold me tonight — Chris and Elliott. Bravo to both! And Kellie and Mandisa embraced the ’50s with aplomb. I enjoyed the top 4 virtually equally. (We all correctly predicted Kellie choosing Patsy Cline but she didn’t go for the obvious one.)
As for who will be in the bottom three, I think Ace saved himself but I bet Lisa Tucker will be there, with Kevin and Bucky. Paris could potentially land there, too, and be a surprise bottom dweller. But who goes home? Bucky. It’s your time. Lisa might barely be spared one more week.
I did a quick phone busy signal check, making 20 calls to each of the 11 lines from 10:40 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. EST. Locally, the top 11 in order are Mandisa and Kellie with 11 busy signals each, Taylor with 10, Paris with 8, Elliott with 6, Chris, Ace and Bucky with 4 each, Lisa with 3 and Katharine and Kevin at the bottom with no busy signals at all.
But is Elliott in trouble? At www.dialidol.com, the bottom three are Bucky, Lisa and Elliott (though Kevin is within the margin of error). Elliott, not Paris, might actually be the surprise bottom three finisher. If he is, that’s another sign this site is very useful for blunting surprises.
Chris Daughtry (Johnny Cash “I Walk the Line”) — He’s going for a different version from Johnny, more of a brooding rock/power ballad feel. He does a wonderful job placing his own imprint on the song. It’s virtually unrecognizable but in a good way. In the past, I’ve always felt he was derivative. This was original! Randy: “What I loved about this. You took a song that everyone knows. You put a different spin, created an alternative record. You know exactly who you are.” Paula: “You grow each week. You should already be touring and we should be buying tickets.” Simon: “I agree with Randy. There was an enormous difference between what you did, opposite to what I hated about Bucky’s version of ‘Oh Boy.’ The first artist who has refused to compromise.” (Hmm… how original was he? A blogger below says Chris’ take sounds like a version done by the band Live from 2004. A clip can be heard on this site. I just downloaded the Live version off iTunes. The pacing is similar in the beginning, but it’s in a different key and Chris amps it up at the end much more dramatically than LIve’s lead singer Ed Kowalczyk does. It’s not a slavish imitation.)
Elliott Yamin (Frank Sinatra’s “Teach Me Tonight”) — It’s great to watch Barry teach him the subtleties of singing. And he learned well. Starts quietly, builds to a wonderful climax. Rock solid. Randy: “You chose the toughest song tonight. The chord changes, the modulations. You worked it out baby. Love you.” Paula: “I got goosebumps. You move me.” Simon: “Since this is a singing competition. Let me judge your singing. It was fantastic!”
Kellie Pickler (Patsy Cline’s “Walking After Midnight”) — Funny that Barry didn’t know this song. I guess I’ve lived in the South long enough! :) Kellie is a minx tonight and she’s very comfortable with this song. She really took over the stage tonight. Randy: “Great song choice. The country pop girl is back. I like the wink you gave Simon. Pinkler’s back.” Paula: “You were the tigress tonight. You were awesome.” Simon: “You’re back doing what you do best. It was ballsy. It was sexy. It was just great. Welcome back.”
Mandisa (Dinah Washington/Dottie West “I Don’t Hurt Anymore”) — She took a country classic and gave it her torch song imprint. It was powerful and she looked comfy in smaller heels. Great hair, too! — “I”m a little speechless. What a classy amazing way to start the night. THis was an unbelievable performance.” Paula: “You took me back to the 50s. Your performance was flawless. You’re a thoroughbred.” Simon: “Mandisa. You were blossoming. It was a very sexy performance.”
Paris Bennett (Peggy Lee’s “Fever”) — This song needs to be sung by someone with that real sexy vibe. I don’t get that from Paris. She looks and feels like she’s play acting. I can’t buy her doing the sexy slinky thing. She lacks the moves to pull this off, no matter how good her vocals are. And her vocals were great. (Oh, look! Constantine with glasses, playing to the camera as usual!) Randy: “By the middle of the song, I remembered the first time we saw you. You did a little jazzy number. We thought you were so dope. You blew it out the rest of the song.” Paula: “I forgot you were 17 with some of the moves. Your vocals are impeccable.” SImon: “This is what you do best Paris. You have the perfect voice for that kind of song.”
Taylor Hicks (Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away”) — The song isn’t all that exciting. Taylor does his best to inject some energy into it. Great dance steps. Not his best but it won’t cause him any problems come elimination day tomorrow. Randy: “You are having a blast. I don’t know if the song if the most challenging for me. But you worked it out. I love you man.” Paula: “Someone should be shooting this and making an exercise video out of it.” Simon: “Sorry but if this was the first time you had seen this performance out of context that it was a complete mess. I like you. You have a great voice. That was some hideous party performance.”
Katharine McPhee (Ella Fitzgerald’s “Come Rain or Come Shine”) — The difficulty level was extremely high on this song. She almost pulls it off. Very cute, very solid. Did I get a McFever? Not quite. Randy: “That wasn’t my favorite vocal performance but still was really really strong. You took a really difficult song and worked it out.” Paula: “Only you could pull it off. You look exquisite tonight.” Simon: “Something happened tonight. I think tonight you turned into a star. That was like watching a real seasoned great performer. That comes what I put under the special category. Loved it.”
Ace Young (Five Satins’ “In the Still of the Night”) — He’s the only one to opt for a group song. Big risk. For folks who dislike him, this won’t change your opinion. While it isn’t bad, I doubt he’ll bring in new fans either. He has a good falsetto and seriously, he’d be a real contender if this were season one. But in season five, he’s got too much competition. Randy: “Ace is back tonight. You know why. You took a classic song and you brought something different and fresh to it. Props.” Paula: “That was probably the sexiest sultriest performance you’ve done all season.” Simon: “It wasn’t the best vocal tonight. But I don’t think that matters. You won’t be in the bottom three. It was a hell of a lot better than last week.”
Kevin “Moxie” Covais (Nat King Cole’s “When I Fall In Love”) — Kevin hasn’t fallen in love yet. Awww…. Barry wanted him to do it in a vulnerable, innocent way. He actually does a decent job. But it makes me wish for… Anthony Fedorov. At least he’s better than John Stevens. (Jasmine Trias is in the house!) Randy: “You chose one of my favorite songs of all time. You did a pretty good job. There’s something about you. I just like you.” Paula: “It takes a lot of courage sitting about 10 feet away from Simon. You’ve got more moxie than most people I’ve ever met in my entire life.” Simon: “I like you because you’re like a man. You take it well. I’m not going to say it was the best version of that song. It wasn’t. You know who your audience is and they’re going to love that version.”
Lisa Tucker (Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers’ “Why Do Fools Fall in Love”) — One of the bloggers Tuesday thought this would work for Paris. I agree. Can Lisa do it and show some personality? Not really. She’s perky in a Disney World sort of way. It’s perfectly adequate. No more than that. Randy: “Good song choice for you. It kept you really young in a perky kind of way. It was just alright for me.” (Same word choice as I am with perky!) Paula: “You got back to the youthfulness.” Simon: “I thought it was okay. There are times tonight I feel like I’m trapped in some sort of high school musical. And I want to leave. It’s a bit cutesy. I won’t say that’s a wow performance.”
Bucky Covington (Buddy Holly’s “Oh Boy”) — Starts rough. His voice simply lacks the power to make this song work. I do like the little mike twirl at the end. Randy: “Great song choice for me. You got your old Bucky hair back. It wasn’t the best vocal but good choice.” Paula: “Good song performance.” Simon: “A reality check. This is American Idol… supposedly the best in America. It was nothing more than a pointless karaoke performance. If someone was watching the first time. You’d go, so what?”
Permalink | Comments (508) | Categories: Analysis
3/21: Dialidol.com is back running
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A lawyer told the owner of www.Dialidol.com that his site is fine, as long as he has a disclaimer saying this is not affiliated with American Idol at all. Dialidol.com provides a speed dialing software program to make it easier to vote and also measures busy signals to gauge which candidates are more popular than others. He’s had a fairly good track record so far and as more people use the site, the more accurate it may become. Last week, Melissa McGhee was not predicted to be eliminated but she was among the bottom dwellers when it came to busy signals. And his site showed weakness in the Ace/Lisa camps hours before the results were known.
So as of 5;45 P.M. EST, his site is back up and running.
3/21: 50s theme night tonight
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I know some of you already mined this topic last Thursday, but I figure I’ll let people mull over what songs might fit which contestants tonight. Will anybody dare touch Elvis? And yes, Patsy Cline & Kellie Pickler were made for each other. Paris should have an easy time with this one since she seems quite knowledgable about artists from this decade. David Radford must be crying somewhere thinking about Kevin Covais tackling some doo-wop song or Pat Boone.
By the way, my promise to you: I won’t use the colloquialism “thang” again this year. The first person to catch me using it wins their very own John Stevens “Red” CD. :)
3/20: Mario Vazquez (zzz…) speaks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In this press release, last year’s quitter Mario Vazquez “reveals” why he left the show but his rationale, if this is true, hasn’t changed. He basically didn’t want to go through the entire “Idol” process, felt he could “short cut” his way to fame and fortune. And yes, he did get a deal with Clive Davis but to what end? We’ll see:
ONLY ON EXTRA LAST YEAR’S AMERICAN IDOL FRONTRUNNER MARIO VASQUEZ ON WHY HE LEFT THE SHOW
(Los Angeles - March 20, 2006) - Only Extra caught up with Mario Vasquez who abruptly took himself out of last year’s American Idol competition. His departure left everyone wondering why he left the show. For the first time, Vasquez answers the rumors and talks about the real reason he left the show.
Vasquez declares, “The most outrageous rumor I think was that I was subpoenaed to the Michael Jackson jury.� He confirms only to Extra that, “The real reason was I wanted to do it on my own terms, just take hold of my career. I have to say Idol was amazing, just to open those doors for me.� Vasquez admits he stayed quiet until now out of respect for Idol and only auditioned for a record deal after Carrie Underwood was crowned the winner. About Underwood, Vasquez comments, “I thought she was a very talented girl, a sweet girl and I just wish her the best.�
Vasquez did land a record deal and his first album is due in stores this spring. Only Extra’s cameras were at the photo shoot for his album cover which he calls, “A bit of R&B, but of pop, lots of soul and definitely sparks of Latin in there.�
In regard to this season of Idol, Vasquez declares he’ll leave the judging to the judges, “They know what they are talking about, I respect them highly.� However, his favorites include Ace, Taylor and Paris. About Paris, “She’s spunky!�
More with Mario Vasquez on Extra, Tuesday, March 21. Check local cable guide for channel listing.
3/20: Each contestant’s weaknesses
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Happy Monday to y’all. Hope you enjoyed your St. Patty’s Day with a fine Guinness in hand.
Let’s stew over what each contestant needs to do to ward off elimination:
1) Chris Daughtry — He’ll have to show if he can do more than that rock/grunge thang. He’s the favorite at the moment and that does place more pressure on him but he seems pretty copacetic so far.
2) Taylor Hicks — He did a good job reducing those odd tics he has while singing this past week. He’ll need to balance his oddities with his incredible joy of singing to keep his fan base growing while others get eliminated.
3) Kellie Pickler — She has relatively little stage experience so she really needs to get used to being in the spotlight and stop making excuses if she has to sing something outside her comfort zone. The naive/cute thang can only take her so far if she can’t back it up with better performances.
4) Mandisa — Sometimes she can miss a note or two during her belting. But she is who she is and she should be fairly consistent. If she doesn’t make the final four, I’ll be a bit shocked.
5) Katharine McPhee— She doesn’t seem to have terribly good fashion sense. What she wore last week didn’t do her any justice. And for me, if she can keep the vocal calisthetics to a minimal, I’m fine.
6) Paris Bennett — Youthful exuberance can be good but some find her a bit over the top, bordering on overconfidence. If she can tone it down a notch (and pick better songs than “Conga” and “Wind Beneath My Wings”) people may embrace her more.
7) Elliott Yamin — Like Kellie, he looked a wee bit stiff on the big stage, needs to loosen up a bit.
8) Ace Young — Ace needs to stop using his falsetto so much and pick some songs that aren’t so, um, wimpy. His studmuffin looks can only take him so far.
9) Kevin Covais — Vocally, he’s no Anthony Fedorov, though he’s marginally better than John Stevens. The guy elicits such hatred, there’s probably not much he can do to counter that. I still love watching him dancing — he’s THAT bad.
10) Lisa Tucker — She needs to show some personality but I’m not sure that’s possible. She’s way too “pageant girl” for many folks and lacks a spark to connect with viewers.
11) Bucky Covington — He’s very competent but he tends to overdo the “growl.” And as Entertainment Weekly noted in their commentary, he needs to stop doing that “squat” thang.
3/19: Nashville Star sideline
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I DVRed “Nashville Star” and am finally catching up with it. Some great talent this year! Wynonna and Cowboy Troy are wonderful hosts, far better than Nancy O’Dell or LeAnn Rimes in past years. Cowboy is cheesy but in a good way. Wynonna is clearly not always following script and has her own opinions. That’s rare for a TV host.
The gal Kristen McNamara who yodelled was incredibly entertaining. She’s among my favorites along with the mellow, bluegrassy Matt Mason and Melanie Torres, the Latino bombshell. Jared Ashley shows potential, too.
Surprisingly, they dumped the ultra-hyper Jewels Hanson, who was okay but felt a bit derivative. She does look shocked. Maybe it’s her name, the combo of two acts from from 1996: Jewel and Hanson! :)
3/19: Ace on UPN’s “Half & Half” 4/3
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I got this press release from UPN. Apparently, Ace played a guy named… Ace.
“The Big Off Pitch Episode”-When Dee Dee’s first potential client, Ace (guest star “American Idol” contestant Ace Young) decides he wants to quit baseball to sing, she turns to Mona, so she can intentionally crush his music dreams, but when the pro-athlete turns out to be musically gifted, an all out bidding war breaks out between the half-sisters who both want to sign him, on a rebroadcast of HALF & HALF, Monday, April 3 (9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on UPN. Ellen Gittelsohn directed the episode from a script by Chauncey B. Raglin-Washington. Joey Lawrence (“Blossom”) guest stars as Brett Mahoney. (Originally broadcast 10/24/05)
3/19: Tamyra on “Las Vegas”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m watching “Las Vegas” and former Norcross gal Tamyra Gray is guesting as a clumsy waitress. She gets to sing again, too, like “Boston Legal.”
Her TV/movie acting resume is easily the most impressive of any former “Idol” by far.
So far, she’s been on “Boston Legal,” “Tru Calling,” “Half & Half,:” “All of Us,” and “What I Like About You.” That’s six guest spots in less than four years. Plus, a major role in the film “The Gospel.” And that Broadway gig “Bombay Dreams.”
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3/19: Ryan Seacrest’s sked
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Boston Herald summarized a busy day with Ryan Seacrest.
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3/19: Odds on Idol
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m having a hard time taking the AOL poll seriously (it has Ace Young at No. 3 this morning and Paris again at the bottom.)
So I’m looking at oddsmakers instead. They show far less faith in Kellie and Mandisa winning than I expected and more faith in Lisa and Ace, despite the results this past Thursday.
Here’s Pinnacle Sports oddsmakers.
- Chris 2. Katharine 3. Taylor 4. Mandisa 5. Paris 6. Elliott 7. Lisa (!) 8. Ace 9. Kellie (that seems awfully low) 10. Kevin 11. Bucky
Here’s a compilation from readabet.com.
Bet365’s rankings are:
Chris 7/4
Katharine 4-1
Taylor 9-2
Elliott 7-1
T5. Mandisa 9-1 Lisa 9-1 Ace 9-1
Paris 10-1
Kellie 12-1
Bucky 50-1
Kevin 80-1
As for the next eviction, the current odds are here, with Kevin at top (11-8), followed by Bucky, LIsa, Ace, Kellie, Elliott, Paris, Mandisa, Katharine, Taylor, then Chris (80-1 odds to be booted this week.)
3/19: Kinnik Sky story
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My colleague in Gwinnett Ken Suguira did a short piece on Duluth’s Kinnik Sky.. She is hoping to nab some movie or TV gig out of this brief time on “Idol.” We’ll see. The odds are against her but she certainly is determined.
3/17: Dialidol.com
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I spoke with Jim Hellriegel Jr.in Cleveland Ohio, who created Dialidol.com. He developed it last year after he heard folks having trouble getting through on Bo and Carrie’s phone lines but he had an easy time getting through to Linsdey Cardinale’s line. (And she was ousted the first week.). He created the speed dial program last year but only made it available publicly a month ago when the semifinals started. He said he got 10 out of 12 semifinalists correct based on busy signals, better than my 8 out of 12 based purely on observation.
He didn’t get Melissa correct, as Mike S’s numbers showed, but she was near the bottom. And he revealed how poor support was for Ace and Lisa. Jim said he tried to make it clear this is not scientific because it only includes phone dialing, not text messaging, which doesn’t deal with busy signals.
Given his limited funds, he said it’s doubtful he’d be able to fight “Idol” on this unless some attorney decided to take on the “Idol” machine pro bono. “Idol,” he said, told him it doesn’t like speed dialers and didn’t like him revealing information such as busy signal frequencies. As we know, “Idol” is secretive period about the voting numbers, which in my opinion, only fuels conspiracy theorists. But they want people to be surprised i.e. Lisa Taylor. Is he doing anything truly illegal? It doesn’t appear so but “Idol” can easily bully a small fry like Jim into submission with threats. Oddly, the “cease and desist” letter only addresses him using “Idol” logos and such, which could be easily corrected. He said “Idol” only complained about his methodology by phone.
In the meantime, Hellriegel isn’t quite giving up yet but finding a pro bono attorney might be a bit of a challenge.
3/16: Simon’s final 3: Taylor, Chris, Kellie
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Simon Cowell, who correctly predicted Carrie last year as the winner, thinks the final three will be Taylor, Chris and Kellie, with Taylor & Chris vying for the final slot. He was interviewed on Stern’s Sirius radio show, according to this NY Post story today. Sounds about right to me. I think the top 11 right now in terms of order of victory are:
- Chris 2. Taylor 3. Kellie 4. Mandisa 5. Katharine 6. Paris 7. Elliott 8. Ace 9. Kevin 10. Lisa 11. Bucky
3/15: Melissa first one out
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tampa’s Melissa McGhee was ousted, the first of the 12 finalists to go home. After she botched Stevie Wonder’s lyrics to “Lately” and despite positive comments from Simon Cowell, her departure is not remotely a surprise. Like last year, I’ve gotten the first one right. (Last year, Lindsey Cardinale was the first to get booted.).
Melissa was simply too bland and too nervous to move forward. She didn’t rise to the occasion.
As for predicting the bottom three, I also picked Ace Young correctly. He was the first one up Tuesday night with his “Do I Do” and paled in comparison to Taylor, Paris and Chris at the end. I still like him but many people find his falsetto annoying.
But I didn’t see Lisa Taylor’s lack of support coming until Mike S was nice enough to point out dialidol.com (which has since been taken down temporarily because “Idol” sent a cease and desist order.). The site noted that Lisa’s phone lines had the fewest busy signals, followed by Ace, Kevin and close behind, Melissa. So the site didn’t get it right but it indicated Lisa’s weak fan base. Taylor was the one with that folks had the hardest time getting through, followed by Kellie (!), Chris, then Paris. So Paris clearly redeemed herself Tuesday night.
Lisa comes off as too polished, so mannered that nobody can figure out who she is. Where’s the personality? With Paris, there’s almost too much exuberance in comparison.
I had thought Bucky would fall in the bottom three but his better-than-expected “Superstition” and his country fans kept him out of trouble.
And yes, we are back to the ultra-cheesy Ford Fusion commercials. Phew. This one was definitely cringe worthy.
3/15: Paris support weak on AOL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I just checked the unscientific poll on AOL. Paris is currently at rock bottom! Here are the rankings:
- Katharine 2. Kellie 3. Chris 4. Taylor 5. Mandisa 6. Elliott 7. Bucky 8. Ace 9. Lisa 10. Kevin 11. Melissa 12. Paris
Current favorites on msbnc.com:
- Chris 32%, 2. Taylor 16% 3. Mandisa 15% 4. Kellie 9% 5. Katharine 7% 6. Elliott 5%, Ace 5% 8. Paris 4% 9. Bucky 3% 10. Lisa 2% 11-12 Kevin and Melissa 1% each.
3/14: Shoeless Mandisa and slick Taylor rock!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve decided to attend the Northstar Church viewing party in Acworth where about 100 people showed up to support and watch Mandisa on two big screens. Mandisa’s brother Brian, who lives nearby, hosted. Nice guy. He’s a musician. He said Mandisa’s parents live in Fairburn but Mandisa herself has never lived here though she visits often and has close friends here. A friend of hers got her to call Star 94 and they helped get her to the front of the line at Chicago auditions, which eventually led her to where we are now.
Stevie Wonder night is tough by its very nature and some singers struggled more than others. Fortunately, Mandisa did not disappoint. Kevin provided one of the unintentionally (or semi-intentionally) funniest performances in “Idol” history. But then there’s Taylor Hicks, who gives us viewers nothing but intentional joy.
So who will be in the bottom three? Tough call given that we haven’t established firm voting patterns yet. But my guess will be Melissa, Ace and Bucky. Who will go? I’m sure my biases against Melissa are showing but I’m going to go for her. I think Kevin was bad but at this stage, I don’t think that means it’s over for him yet.
Taylor Hicks (“Living for the City�) – Taylor picks a song tailor made for him. His unalloyed joy is infectious. Gotta love his spastic dancing. Bravura performance. Makes you want more. Randy: “I know all those gigs you played and all the clubs, bars, weddings paid off. That was hot. Fearless, baby, fearless!� Paula: “You are such a fun performer and so much passion.� Simon: “Your appeal is you’re like every day who has ever got drunk at a wedding. It’s a compliment! The difference is: you can sing.�
Mandisa (“Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing�) – Forget about shoes. (She complained about how much her shoes hurt so Ryan took them off.) She rocked as usual, putting her own personality into a Stevie song, which is exceedingly difficult. “Did you see dad?� Mandisa’s brother yelled as the TV showed her family. Randy: “You are amazing last week. This week wasn’t as good as last week. I don’t know what it is. They are the hardest songs. So far, you are the best.� Paula: “You can sing anything.� Simon: “Now we have a competition.�
Paris Bennett (“All I Do�) – This is a theme that fits her perfectly. She goes old school with the hair again. And she is in her element and cruising. Best performance since week one. Randy: “Once again, when we first saw you. So young to have all the experience and right vocal choices. You were unbelievable tonight!� Paula: “Seasoned veterans. You are only 17 years old. You could teach a lot of performers how to do it.� Simon: “We’re like watching two competitions. The first half was alright. The second half was brilliant. You’re so comfortable. You’re a performing little doll. Wind her up and let her go!�
Chris Daughtry (“Higher Ground� ) He goes for the song that the Red Hot Chili Peppers did many moons ago. He hopes to blend a bit of both. He’s a pro, has complete control of the song, roaming the stage with authority. I still am not a huge fan but you have to give him props. Randy: “Every week, you figure out a way no matter what goes on… to make it your own. I loved it.� Paula: “I never worry. I sit back and enjoy every week. You’re fantastic.� Simon: “Thank god for Chris. Because we had some good performances tonight. This was the only real world performance. I actually could imagine you having a hit with that record. I hate it when people don’t take risks. Do a karaoke version. It’s so important you choose the song. You did make it your own. It stands up on its own in the real world. Best tonight by a mile.�
Lisa Tucker (“Signed, Sealed, Deliveredâ€?) – Can she do an uptempo song as well as a ballad, which she’s more comfortable with? She does fine but she’s still hindered by her smoothness, her lack of rawness. I can’t totally fall in love with her singing because of that. Randy: “I know this will sound strange. The hottest part of the song is the end. These Stevie performances are a little karaoke.â€? Paula: “You were a little nervous. When you are out of the melodies, you really shine.â€? Simon: “For me, this was one of the best performances tonight. For the first time, I saw someone take absolute control of the stage. You didn’t feel swallowed up by it… It was great. I loved it.â€?
Katharine McPhee (“Until You Come Back To Me�) “She has a lot of potential,� Stevie says. She didn’t add much to the song but she held her own. Blech with the dress and too much makeup on her face. Randy: “She’s back tonight. That was hot!� Paula: “There’s something about your voice that pierces through your heart. Tonight was your best performance.� Simon: “Katharine. You’re good. You’re beginning to remind me of Kelly Clarkson vocally.�
Elliott Yamin (“Knocks Me Off My Feet�) – Elliott certainly knows Stevie and cried meeting him. He starts strong but the middle is kind of dull. He does an okay job but it isn’t stupendous. Decent end. A little stiff visually. Randy: “This is your comfort zone. You are a Stevie kind of thing. I didn’t think this was your best performance but I think the problem. You see how hard it Is to bring something new… it was good.� Paula: “I love your passion. You are an amazing singer. We’ll be seeing many more weeks of you.� Simon: “Best so far. But that didn’t have the wow factor. It’s very important at this stage, you have to show some originality.�
Bucky Covington (“Superstition�) – Bucky does a surprisingly sturdy verson of a Stevie classic. It’s a good song choice and decent performance. This will probably keep him from being eliminated this week. Randy: “It was the right choice for you. It’s so far from what you do. It wasn’t the greatest vocal performance but I enjoyed it dude.� Paula: “I actually enjoyed you singing Stevie, too. It’s very different. I wish you would have gotten out of your comfort zone a bit more. You were really good.� Simon: “Let me start with a positive. That’s one of your best performances so far. But I have to talk about this Jessica Simpson hair style. That has GOT to go.�
Ace Young (“Do I Do�) – Ace picks a solid upbeat tune that doesn’t need to much vocal range. He does it in a solid, upbeat way. Good start for the show. Randy: “The song started off a little off for me. By midlevel, you got it together. It was just alright. I like the energy. Stevie is hard with all the changes.� Paula: “I totally disagree. I thought you started the night fantastic.� Simon: “Ace, you’re lucky this audience is very easily pleased. Randy’s right. It wasn’t a great vocal. This will not be the best vocal performance tonight. It was a bit manic. You’ve got to do better than that.�
Kevin Covais (“Part Time Lover�) – Stevie says “He has an interesting kind of voice.� I’m not sure that’s a compliment. Nikko Smith did it a year ago. Now it’s Kevin. He conveyed some of the most awkward dance moves that make Clay Aiken look like Astaire. The audience at the church chuckled frequently. It was hard to focus on the singing. I guess he was in tune and got the lyrics right. Randy: “I love you. I wasn’t expecting it to sing it in tune. You sang it in tune. It was funny dance moves. And dude. You’re wearing makeup!� Paula: “You sang in tune. You have your own style. Your own strange dance steps.� Simon: “This is the time Stevie Wonder turns down the volume. It was appalling.� “I wasn’t expecting much from you anyway, Simon,� Kevin says, talking back. Ooh, boy.
Kellie Pickler (“Blame it on the Sun�) Admits to not being familiar with Stevie Wonder music. (Big shock, there!). She has been glammed up but she seems tentative vocally. It’s not a bad match of a song for her but it really falls flat. It lacks energy. Randy: “Very interesting song choice. It’s kind of a nonevent. It didn’t even happen. None of the spark. The key was low. It didn’t work for me.� Paula: “You looked a little nervous. A little safe. The razzle dazzle you bring didn’t show up.� Simon: “Everything went wrong tonight. You would have sent half of America to sleep with that performance… It’s like you went to Dolly Parton school the way you look tonight. Safe, old and boring. Without question, your worst performance.� “I got new eyelashes!� she said after the song. “I have tarantulas on me!� Adorable, as always.
Melissa McGhee (“Latelyâ€?) – She messed up lyrics in front of Stevie, who teased her for it. She goes for a tough ballad. Hear that thud on the floor? That’s Melissa trying to do RJ Helton’s best song (Remember Cumming’s own from season one?). Yelling doesn’t make it better. I guess she’s at least in tune. But — go home. Now. Randy: “You forgot the lyrics. That aside, you hit some flat and sharp notes. It ended strong. You get props. You can sing.â€? Paula: “You look absolutely beautiful. So you messed up a lyric. When you open up your mouth, there’s something soothing. (huh?)â€? Simon: “In my opinion, that was your best performance so far. It was edgy. It was contemporary. It was very good, very strong.â€?
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3/14: Stevie Wonder theme tonight
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
According to this mtv.com story, tonight will be a Stevie Wonder themed night.
My complaint: haven’t we already heard ENOUGH bad renditions of Stevie Wonder this year and in past years? Oh, well…
From the story:
The judges did sing the praises of Daughtry, Hicks, Kellie Pickler and Mandisa, but called most of the song choices during the semifinals terrible. And neither Cowell nor Jackson were optimistic about next week’s Stevie Wonder theme.
“All the Stevie songs are hard to perform so it’s going to be tough,” Jackson said.
Fox released a note Tuesady saying Stevie will pop up during the results show singing “My Love is on Fire,” a new single from his album. That should help kill five minutes from the 22 minutes of the results show.
3/13: Mandisa viewing party
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Got this press release last week:
www.northstarchurch.org
March 9, 2006
Kennesaw, GA – It was announced this morning that the family and friends of American Idol contestant, Mandisa, will be throwing a viewing party at NorthStar Church on Tuesday, March 14. The event will run from 7:30-9:00 p.m. in the Compass Center on NorthStar’s campus, located at 3413 Blue Springs Road in Acworth/Kennesaw.
Mandisa, who has been considered a strong contender for the American Idol crown since the beginning of the season, will deliver a brief Welcome Message via video prior to the crowd watching her live performance. The event is free to the public.
3/12: “Secrets” of “Idol” finalists
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The new gossip site www.tmz.com offers up some mildly interesting tidbits about each of the “Idol” finalists here.
If it’s true, the reason Brenna didn’t want to comment about Paris may have been a mutually comparable feeling.
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3/12: Diana talks to playbill.com
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here’s a Q&A (the second item down with Diana DeGarmo with playbill.com. No surprise she sounds like she’s having a good time doing Broadway.
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3/10: Top 12 rankings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I listened in on three of the reject press conferences Friday and it was all pretty dull. Ayla is sweet, will go on playing basketball no doubt. Our very own Kinnik will use this to get some auditions for TV, movies and Broadway. She said her nerves did get to her on Tuesday and that she would have loved to have sung a Toni Braxton song, but the ones she wanted weren’t on the clearance list. Gedeon was giddy, as always, just blessed to be there and though he may be in denial, expressed no disappointment he was booted too soon. I skipped Will’s gig though I’ll be getting the transcripts of the press conferences if anybody wants to read them.
Anyway, it’s time to rank the top 12 before we even start. This is pure handicapping. Last year, Anwar and Nadia were ranked much higher than they ultimately finished. Scott, Anthony and Vonzell did much better than expected. In fact, Vonzell was near the bottom and ended up in the top 3. So things can change this year, too.
Here’s the msnbc poll from a year ago right before the final 12 performed.
Who should be the American Idol? * 53952 responses
Bo 26% Anwar 23% Carrie 14% Nadia 8% Nikko 7% Constantine 5% Scott 5% Anthony 4% Jessica 3% Mikalah 3% Vonzell 1% Lindsey 1%
This is the 12 I think are going to finish in order (not necessarily my personal preference)
Chris 2. Taylor 3. Mandisa 4. Kellie 5. Elliott 6. Katharine 7. Paris 8. Lisa 9. Ace 10. Kevin 11. Bucky 12. Melissa. ’ My personal preferences at the moment (and these will change over time, naturally). I’m definitely in the minority when it comes to Chris. I don’t think he’s bad. I just don’t think he’s that amazing, either.
Mandisa 2. Taylor 3. Kellie 4. Paris 5. Elliott 6. Ace 7. Katharine 8. Chris 9. Lisa 10. Kevin 11. Bucky 12. Melissa
Naturally, sites again have polls for you to participate in. Here’s the aol poll. As of this posting, AOL’s rankings are (no percentages this time): 1. Kellie 2. Katharine 3. Chris 4. Taylor 5. Mandisa 6. Ace 7. Elliott 8. Paris 9. Lisa 10. Bucky 11. Melissa 12. Kevin.
Here’s the msnbc.com poll for who should win 1. Chris 31% 2. Mandisa 18% 3. Taylor 17% 4. Kellie 9% 5. Katharine 7% 6. Ace 6% 7. Elliott 4% 8. Paris 8% 9. Lisa 2% 10-12 Bucky, Melissa, Kevin, each with 1%.
Here’s the msnb.com poll for who should go next. This often shows a mixture of extreme dislike as well a relative paucity of talent. 1. Kevin 51% 2. Bucky 15% 3. Melissa 14% 4. Kellie 5. Paris 6. Ace 7-11 (all 2%) Elliott, Mandisa, Katharine, Lisa) 12. Chris 1%
3/9: Kinnik, Will, Ayla and (!!!!) Gedeon are out
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Things were going fairly predictably until the final minutes. Duluth’s Kinnik Sky was booted, as expected, after failing to keep herself in tune during a difficult Alicia Keys song Tuesday. Then Kevin Arnold look-a-like Will Makar was cut, following a dullish James Taylor “How Sweet It Is.”
Between Melissa McGee and Ayla Brown, Ayla was cut (despite Randy saying he thought she should stay and I agree.). Ayla took a chance with that Natasha Bedingfield song and though I liked it, obviously a lot of others didn’t. Oh, well. Melissa won’t be around long anyway. She’s the Lindsey Cardinale of 2006. (Remember her? No. I barely do myself…)
Then the shocker. Bucky Covington vs. Gedeon McKinney. What was Gedeon doing there at all? Well, to be eliminated! What happened voters??? Kevin Covais, as I predicted, survived. But I was wrong on Bucky. He’ll be the Matt Rogers of this year’s crew (remember him from season three?).
I can’t think of anything Gedeon did wrong. His version of that Percy Sledge song was rock solid. And he was the only black male left in the competition. For the first time, we have NO black males in the final 12! Last year, another talented R&B singer Nikko Smith was cut before the final 12 but got back in thanks to Mario “I can do this without Idol” Vazquez.
Overall, I was only two for four the week. Counting Janet’s solid predictions last week, I was 8 for 12 for the semifinals. Barely passing.
Start venting about Gedeon, folks!
3/8: Taylor takes it to the streets
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Taylor really rocked it tonight, followed by Gedeon and Ace. I think Will, who I really like, buried himself with such a rote rendition of James Taylor. And I think Kevin, with a risky choice of such a square song, will indeed pull in enough granny votes to save himself.
Who’s going home Thursday night among the guys? My prediction: Will and Bucky.
Taylor Hicks (Doobie Brothers’ “Takin’ It to the Streets”) — Trivia: He worked as an Easter Bunny in the mall. He took the perfect song and brought it home! Michael McDonald should be proud. You may hate him and his odd mannerisms but you can’t take your eyes or ears off of him. Randy: “The score goes like this. Perfect song choice. You did a good job singing. It wasn’t your best vocal. But you’re representing the dawg pound.” Paula: “I am blown away!” Simon: “You singlehandedly could kill the music video industry. That was definitely a radio performance. Love the song. This is what it’s all about. It’s having fun and standing out. Best performance so far.”
Gedeon McKinney (Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Womanâ€?) — Trivia: He paints! And shows off a record overlapping the earth. He starts flat but picks up nicely and finishes with a flourish. He’s odd looking yet oddly engaging. I like him. Randy: :â€?You started a little shaky for me. You definitely are an old soul in this competition. And I like that you know who you are, that’s where you are. I like you hitting the big note at the end, that saved you.â€? Paula: “You are a throwback, with your showmanship.â€? Simon: “I thought it was good, a bit cabaret, a bit over the top. You do what you do well. I like you because you’re interesting. You’re kind of growing on me.â€?
Ace Young (Michael Jackson’s “Butterflies”) — Trivia: He’s a handyman. This song is a snoozer for me. But Ace really pulls off those high registers. I’m impressed despite the lousy tune. His charisma flows off of him like buttah. And he took a real chance. Randy: “You got this great falsetto and pulled it off. It was hot!” Paula: “I liked it better than the original artist… talent, talent.” Simon: “I think you made that work. However, there were parts of the vocal that was not great… you made it work.”
Elliott Yamin ( Bryan Adams’ “Heaven” ) Trivia: He has 90% hearing loss in one ear! Here’s a guy I can take my eyes off of but vocally, he’s solid. He’s a little languid in his approach early on. Can he pick it up a notch at the end? He almost does but not quite. I’m not sold. Randy: “You make the right choices as a singer. I’d make a record with you tonight. That was hot!” Paula: “You are absolutely phenomenal and amazing. Your obstacles make your story even richer.” She then knocks a straw out of her drink. Simon: “I thought it was a copout. It was the first time I felt a disconnect between you and the song. I thought it was the utterly wrong song. You felt uncomfortable. It was a bit copycat. I wasn’t crazy about it. Not your best for me.”
Chris Daughtry (Seether’s “Broken�) – Trivia: he used to have Ryan Seacrest like hair but then he started losing it so he’s now going purposely bald. He’s going for another modern rock song. He sounds a lot like Chad Kroeger of Nickelback. Very fresh for this competition. It was okay. Randy: “You know I’m a fan. You’re ready. You’re doing your thing. Another good song, good performance. Rock on, baby, rock on!� Paula: “Whatever happens in this competition I’m sure you’ll be selling out stadiums. You stay true to who you are. I can already hear you on the radio. You’re fantastic.� “Simon: “I wasn’t so impressed. I thought it was a bit indulgent. I thought the song was boring. You don’t want to get too insular. This is American Idol. You have to be as broad as possible.�
Kevin Covais (Don McLean’s “Vincent�) – Trivia: He’s a Kanye West fan. Then he starts singing Don McLean’s wimpy ‘70s ballad. I’m a bit flabbergasted at first. He wants to be the next… John Denver??? He looks so uncomfortable on stage, rocking back and forth. Vocally, it’s not that bad but he has strange tics. But ultimately, he did a surprisingly good job. It grew on me. Randy: “I always knew you were hip hop like me… I didn’t enjoy the song. But you can really sing. It was a very nice performance. You’re in the dawg pound eternally!� Paula: “I have nothing but love for you. Your ballads are your ticket. You just milk their hearts. It’s such a sincere performance.� Brace yourself. Here comes Simon: “It’s like watching puppies play. People can enjoy it. I think you’ve got the granny vote with that song. But it was very juvenile.�
Will Makar ( James Taylor’s “How Sweet it Is�) Trivia: He’s learning Japanese. He goes for a fun James Taylor song. It’s serviceable. It’s pleasant. But I’m not really feeling it, as Randy might say. Indeed, here’s Randy: “It’s a great song, but kind of a bad karaoke performance. It was way below average.� Paula: “I totally disagree. Well, forget 11 year olds. I’m a fan. All the guys are stepping it up. You raised your game.� Simon: “You must have been starved of entertainment as a child. I have to agree with Randy. That falls under the utterly average category. Nothing distinct, nothing great, nothing good, but you do have the middle-aged vote.�
Bucky Covington (Pat Green’s “Wave on Wave�) – Trivia: he has a twin! Bucky has such a sandstone-style voice, roughening up a lovely Pat Green song that came off kind of dull. He’s going to get reamed by Simon. Randy: “I feel like you have a good sense of who you are. It doesn’t show off your vocal chops. It’s got a Bucky country sort of thing. I liked it.� Paula: “You’re unpretentious. I like the raw, untapped talent.� Simon: “It was okay. But you can hear it a million times in a bar. It was adequate. I don’t think okay is good enough.�
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3/7: Mandisa’s night again!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mandisa is the queen of the kingdom and Katharine, Kellie, Ayla, Paris and Lisa are part of her court. In the meantime, Kinnik and Melissa are the likely departures Thursday, as Simon noted. This was a much better night than a week ago, even better overall than week one.
Mandisa (Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Womanâ€? ) — Trivia: She sucked her thumb til she’s 24. Trenyce sang this song season two. Mandisa is singing it even better. Perfect song choice for her in style and lyrics. That was hot! Randy: “Yo. I’m giving you your props. Check it out. This to me is the best vocal by a female this season. She just sent the benchmark.â€? Paula: “That’s what we’re talking about. Your range was awesome. You sang your butt off.â€? Simon: “Every one of these girls are going to hate your guts tonight because you made everyone who appeared before you appear ordinary. This is the only one I would rewind on my tivo and watch again. It was in a completely utterly different league.â€?
Katharine McPhee (Aretha Franklin’s “Thinkâ€?) – Katharine (now dubbed Mcâ€?Feverâ€?) denied odd rumors that she had dropped out because of pregnancy was denied. She does a rousing version of Aretha. It was entertaining and upbeat. Pitch perfect. She’s winning me over little by little. Randy: “Dawg pound. We got a hot one right here! Very nice!â€? Paula: “It’s great to see you cut loose. You are a well-oiled machine.â€? Simon: “I have to agree with Randy. That was a risk and you pulled it off. You made it effortless. You will sail through.â€?
Kellie PIckler (Melissa Etheridge’s “I’m the Only One”) She loves her dog Comet. Anyway, we are hearing a Melissa Etheridge song AGAIN. But she does a fine job. She doesn’t have the greatest voice in the competition but she picked a solid song for her vocals. Love her enthusiasm! Randy: “I knew I liked you before because of the dog thing. I have the dawg pound here. Every week, yhou’ve been very consistent. A great song choice. You did a great job.” Paula: “You’ve got your groove on.” Simon: “You are known as a naughty little minx.” “What’s a minx? she asked innocently. He said, “A nice bad girl.” then the shociker: “I prefer you to last year’s winner,” he said. WOW! “I’m a mink,” she said. “No, a minx,” Ryan said. I think Simon’s in luuuuuv. :)
Ayla Brown (Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten� ) – Trivia: she thought her dad was Elvis. She picked a current top 40 hit. It’s a good song choice for her. She really is trying to loosen up, break that robotic thang. And she did an excellent job. I liked her for the first time. Randy: “The song was okay. I think you got to be cautious with songs like this. It’s not a singer’s song. It only has a five-note range. It’s not going to give you a ‘wow’ factor.� Paula: “I love to give you credit. You fight the fight every single week. You are working your butt off. It’s interesting to hear a contemporary song. I think you handled it and rose to the occasion.� Simon: “That was pretty good actually. I love you in your film clips. I’d just love that young person we see on the film be on the stage as well. That’s more appealing than what we heard tonight. It was good but it wasn’t fantastic.� “It was a risk but I feel I needed to take the risk,� she said. “This is more of a performance song.�
Paris Bennett: (Miami Sound Machine’s “The Congaâ€?) — It was light, frothy and good. Not a showstopper, though. Randy: “It wasn’t my favorite choice. You can sing anything. I want you to challenge yourself. You have this unbelievable talent.” Paula: “I prefer you doing uptempo. It’s a very difficult song to sing. I was surprised by the choices you made melodically but they captured my attention.â€? Simon: “Last week we said do a younger song. But to be honest, it’s your enthusiasm, your age, just the fact, you’re a great entertainer will get you through. I think you’re feeling the nerves because it’s an important week. Vocally, it was okay. People love you. So see you next week.â€? “I’m going to dance my way to the top 12,â€? she said.
Lisa Tucker (Tiffany Taylor’s “Here’s Where I Stand�) – She shows off a little Jimi Hendrix guitar playing, which was funny. Then, the song, which was just okay. She does it with verve and finesse and a sheen of professionalism. But again, not a showstopper, not a “wow.� “Still a little older for me… I want you to slay it. It didn’t come off great, great for me, just alright.� Paula: “I see a seasoned performer. I always go back to your poise and performance value is amazing. I wish you had sung a song we could get into.� “We think you’re supertalented but you’re singing songs which sound like your mum’s choosing them. They’re not believable for you. There is a disconnect. You will sail to the next round.�
Kinnik Sky ( Alicia Keys “If I Ain’t Got You�) – She is a chitlins fan. This is a tough song to sing. She does a good job with the verse, but she doesn’t blowtorch the chorus. It sounds off. She needed that final kick which she didn’t quite get. Randy: “I love the song. Started out amazing. Got a little sharp. Caught up with it at the end. I don’t think you nailed it.� Paula: “You found your style. You found your style. I don’t know if you could hear yourself. You were off with your pitch and stayed sharp.� Simon� Midway through, ti was really appalling. It went all over the place. I think you have booked your plane ticket home. At least you can have your chiklits.� Um… chitlins. She acknowledged being sharp but said, “The next time, the only sharp I’ll be is in my dressing.�
Melissa McGhee (Heart’s “What About Love� ) She’s into fast cars. So why not a Heart song? It’s a good song choice for her, a decent smoky voice. But she still has a feeling of a backup singer, not a lead. “That song choice was really good. Got a little away from you at the end. You had the look and the poise. You even sounded like Ann and Nancy.� Paula: “You’ve been improving, you’re coming out of your shell. You are a powerhouse, a force to be reckoned with.� Simon: “I totally disagree. I think that last note booked your plane ticket home, sweetheart. You shouted the song. I think you’ve blown it.�
3/7: Bo Bice on Thursday’s results show
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Since they gave Carrie the publicity last week, now it’s Bo’s turn. Bo, who lost promotional momentum after he got sick again a few weeks ago and has seen his album sales drop off rapidly with minimal radio airplay, will try to goose things up by singing “The Real Thing” Thursday night during the results show.
Here’s the breathless Fox press release:
Tuesday, March 7, 2006 HOT FROM FOX…
BO BICE RETURNS TO “AMERICAN IDOL� TO PERFORM HIS HIT SINGLE “THE REAL THING� THURSDAY, MARCH 9, ON FOX
Top 12 Finalists to be Revealed This Week
Last year’s runner-up Bo Bice returns to the AMERICAN IDOL stage this week to perform his hit single “The Real Thing.� After his performance on the results show Thursday, March 9 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), this season’s Top 12 Finalists will be revealed.
Bice’s first album, “The Real Thing” (19 Recordings/RCA), produced by Clive Davis, made a smashing debut on the Billboard album chart, opening at No. 4. The album is nearing Platinum and has sold over 550,000 units. Bice’s current single “The Real Thing” is being played on Top 40 radio, and his video is airing on VH1 and MTV. The video debuted on TRL Thursday, March 2, at No. 8 and moved up to No. 2 on Friday, March 3, and No. 1 on Tuesday, March 7.
Tonight, Tuesday, March 7 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), the Top 8 girls perform in hopes of getting enough votes to secure a spot among the Final 12. Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 8 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), the Top 8 guys will have their shot at joining the Top 12 Finalists, who will be announced on the results show airing Thursday, March 9 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed). On Thursday’s show, after the performance by fan-favorite Bice, four more contestants will be eliminated, ending their quest to become the next American Idol.
Fourteen-time Emmy-nominated AMERICAN IDOL is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; Nigel Lythgoe, President, 19 Television; and Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.
-FOX-
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3/7: Most overlooked Idol contestants
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
EW, in thumbsucking mode, came up with the top 5 most overlooked Idol contestants here
They are, from five to one, Jessica Sierra, George Huff, Trenyce, Lisa Leuschner (remember her? She was pretty good) and Jennifer Hudson.
Personally, I’m still partial to our very own Vanessa Olivarez, and last year’s Nadia Turner. Naturally, Tamyra Gray is another one who got booted before her time. And I was always a big fan of “Scooter Girl,” who never even made it into the final 36 in season three.
Who are some others you felt were ripped off too early?
3/7: Paris benefit for school
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AMERICAN IDOL STORY/PHOTO/VOICE OVER OPPORTUNITY FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 7
March 1, 2006 Contact: Savannah Whaley Pierson Grant Public Relations (954) 776-1999, ext. 225
CLASSMATES, TEACHERS CHEER ON AMERICAN IDOL CONTESTANT AT TV VIEWING PARTY TO BENEFIT HIGH SCHOOL Media invited to get classmate/teacher reaction
WHO: Starr’s Mill High School teachers, friends and classmates of American Idol contestant, 17-year-old Fayetteville resident Paris Bennett
WHAT: Hold a benefit American Idol viewing party to cheer on Bennett as teachers act as guest servers. Smokey Bones has more than 30 television monitors and plasma screens throughout the restaurant and 100 percent of the entire day’s profits on Tuesday, March 7 will be donated to the school.
VISUAL: Enthusiastic viewer reaction
WHEN: Tuesday, March 7 from 7 to 10 p.m.
WHERE: Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill 100 Market Place Blvd. Peachtree City (Intersection of state roads 54 and 74, across from The Avenues) (678) 364-8460
ABOUT SMOKEY BONES
Smokey Bones is a friendly American barbeque restaurant serving great-tasting barbeque and authentic American cuisine in a lively lodge atmosphere. Strapping logs and a stone fireplace create a rustic mountain retreat atmosphere.
3/5: What’s up with Scott Savol
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I know you won’t believe this but Scott Savol has done a bridal show and hopes to land a country fair tour this summer! He’s also getting hitched July 8.
Here’s the link
3/4: Paula causes security breach
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some starstruck (and stupid) airport employee in Las Vegas let Paula Abdul onto a plane without doing the standard security check. Paula can’t cut a break can she?
Here’s the story
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3/3: Reject day
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I had to get on the press conference call with Brenna Gethers and see if the egotism is an act or for real. Well, maybe she’s still working on the act because man, she loves herself more than anybody else, that’s for sure. She complimented all the publications who asked questions (i.e. People, Us, et. al).
In response to a question about her being perceived as a bit arrogant: “If a woman is seen as assertive, it’s seen as rude. If a man is assertive, he’s Simon Cowell. He’s doing what he has to do in the business. I think there’s a double standard that needs to catch up with the new millenium.”
She noted she has family in Savannah but never heard of the AJC (which means she probably won’t be reading this. :) ). I asked what she thought of Paris Bennett. Her answer: “I can’t comment on that. It’s about Brenna Gethers. You gotta love it or hate it.” In other words, she has the natural ability to talk about herself in third person.
“I’m the Renaissance woman, a triple threat,” she said, about her acting, dancing and singing skills. She is up for soaps acting, dramedies, comedies, anything.
I skipped David Radford but I liked Heather Cox (as a fellow “Idol” addict) and asked her about why Mariah Carey, given the difficulty level: “That’s the whole point. It was a rather difficult song choice. But last week, they said I was really safe. It was boring. Well, I’m going to take a risk. I guess it didn’t pay off too well because I’m here.”
She was befuddled by the Paula/Simon “salad” and “pizza” references. “I’m standing here, my career’s on the line. They’re talking salad and pizza. I was like, ‘Huh?’ It was just confusing. That’s the best word to sum it up. You gotta be kidding me. I still don’t know what they were talking about . I don’t know if i ever will know!”
Then I got to ask a quick question to Jose “Sway” Penala about if he realized he sang “Overjoyed” MUCH better Thursday after being eliminated than on Wednesday night. “Yah I did,” he said. “I was actually more into it last night I think. I got a chance to me, not worrying about what anybody else thought. I’ll sing the hell out of it going out.” He admitted not connecting Wednesday, partly due to nerves. “If I had put myself more into the song, I could still be in the competition”
He was also confused by the random “fortune cookie” comments between Simon and Paula. “If you find out, wil you tell me?” he said.
3/2: Farewell Brenna, Heather, David, Sway
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Looks like America did a good job last night plucking out the weaker ones. No surprises.
After a classically cheesy group sing, a recap and Carrie Underwood, we get down to business:
Brenna Gethers is gone first. No tears, no shock. Palpable relief among the masses! The arrogant poseur with faux confidence is out. I thought she’d get an extra week but nobody is complaining. “I’m ready to make some money,” she said. “So Clive [Davis, record producer supreme], get in touch with Nigel [Lythgoe, “Idol” producer].” I think not. Maybe Clive, who runs a bridal show in Allentown, or Nigel, who needs a backup singer on Carnival Cruise Lines. At least her song “Last Dance” was appropriate.
Now it’s between Heather Cox and Kinnik Sky. No clue about the salad and pizza reference Paula made. “You picked a song that didn’t fit you and didn’t connecct with the audience,” Paula said to Kinnik. To Heather: “I felt you took a big risk with Mariah Carey.” And it didn’t work. Simon predicted Heather and he was right. Heather was one I predicted would go. She’s that “other” blonde who is not Kellie and does a mediocre pageant version of Mariah Carey. That’s not good positioning at this point.
It’s the guy’s turn. First one among the bottom three is Jose “Sway” Penala, the most maligned singer from last night. Next on the chopping block: David Radford. And the third? Kevin Covais.! Randy says he’s surprised Sway and Kevin are there. (What????)
Who’s out with the lowest no. of votes among the guys: David. My bud Janet got that one right on target. His over-stylized performance marked him for gone. I missed it so this is the first time (and last time) I’ve heard him. It’s tolerable but his departure is understandable. It’s sweet that the others came up on stage while he sang. Paris looks genuinely tearful.
While Paula blabbers about cornflakes and melons, Simon predicts Sway to be gone. Again, he is right on. Sway’s vocals are simply awful. It is amazing he got this far. “It’s been fun,” Sway said before he does Stevie Wonder again. (Janet said he did much much better tonight and I actually enjoyed it.) “I made it this far. It’s been a fun ride for me.”
After two weeks, we got six out of eight departures correct. That’s pretty good!
3/1: Substitute judge for the boys
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I have class on Wednesday nights so I rely on my DVR but “Lost” and “Beauty & the Geek” superseded “Idol” and I got nothing. This happened two weeks ago, too. Right now, it’s now almost 11 p.m. and too late for me to bug my boss again.
Fortunately, I have a friend up in Canton, Janet, who has watched it and will provide her guest commentary. I trust her judgment so I’m sure my opinions wouldn’t be all that different. And she did a most excellent job.
She thinks David Radford and Jose “Sway” Penala will get the fewest votes. Although she disliked Kevin, she thinks the John Stevens/Anthony Fedorov crowd will keep him around an extra week.
Chris Daughtry (Fuel’s “Hemorrhage (In You Head)”) He rocked it, raw power. Kevin Covais was looking at him and thinking, that’s what the adults can do! Simon said he set the standard.
Elliott Yamin (James Moody’s jazzy, upbeat “Mood for Love”) — This was a style you don’t see on “Idol.” Simon rightly said, “You can’t win this competition with this kind of song but I love it.” He seemed more confident and he was having fun.
Gedeon McKinney (Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come”) He started off a little weak, but it grew. He doesn’t look or sound like a teen. It was really coming out of his heart. Simon said that he was the kind of artist that if he had been around in the 60s, Berry Gordy would have grabbed him in the Smokey Robinson days. There was soul and power in his performance.
Taylor Hicks (Commodores’ “Easy”) — He was not always on key. His physical ticks were a bit more distracting. He wasn’t in his Ray Charles’ growl mode. Three times he went “Woo!” It bugged me. “You’ve sung this in bars a thousand times, haven’t you?” Simon asked. (Apparently, Bo was there). Randy: “Not my best favorite performance from you.”
Ace Young (Daniel Bedingfield’s “If You’re Not the One”). Cute boy singing about love. Typecasting choice of song. He always has a beanie in his backpocket. He threw the beanie toward the ladies and Brenna got it. Simon said he struggled. It was draggy, just overweaning.
Will Makar ( Kenny Rogers’ “Lady”) In the most incongruous song choice of the evening, he went for Kenny. He can sing and has a nice voice. He came across as a little studied. It’s a bland song. He sang it well but blandly. Simon said it was like an audition for “Cats.” I want him to be better.
Bucky Covington (Garth Brooks’ “The Thunder Rolls”) It was okay. The word wobbbly kept coming into my mind. I don’t like machine-gun vibrato. He wasn’t quite that far. It was distracting. Randy & Paula kind of liked it. Simon says you look like a support act for the bigger stars on the show.
David Radford (Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight”) He came off like Bill Murray doing Harry Connick doing Frank Sinatra. Cloying and charismatically challenged. It was just a bad take on that Sinatra recording. The judges didn’t like it.
Kevin Covais (Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”) Killing grapevine is sacrilege. He has that annoying vibrato. He’s a nice kid. They all want to pinch his cheeks. I’d bake brownies for him. He’s a boy in a field of some men. And a cuter boy in Will.
Jose “Sway” Penala (Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed”) Sung by Charles Grigsby in season two. It was painful. He wasn’t pitchy, whatever that means. He was plain offkey.
Janet also told me my Comcast DVR sets priorities for series. I was able to adjust it so “Idol” will always come up first when there are conflicts. So this will NOT happen again!
2/28: A let down from last week
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here’s my blogging formatics again. I will rank the top 10. I write my thoughts before the judges speak, off the cuff. Then I quote the judges. Feel free to voice your opinions below!
Lots of dull ballad-heavy song choices tonight. A definite letdown from last week and even though I placed Mandisa at No. 1, it was almost out of default. Nothing really blew me away tonight.
The two most likely to be voted off: Heather Cox (she was the one of four I picked last week to be booted who survived over Becky) and Melissa McGhee (will anyone remember her in two weeks?). I still think we have one more week of Brenna.
Mandisa (Faith Hill’s “Cry,” written by Atlanta’s Angie Aparo) — Another song full of sap but better than Bette or Celine thanks to Mandisa’s dramatic take. Bye bye Faith. Hello Mandisa!!!! Paula: “You are one of a kind… You have unbelievable vocal range. You are taking songs that you woudln’t normally sing and putting your own flavor.” Randy: “The verse was a little rough for me. When you get to the center of your tone… the song choice I wasn’t thrilled with. I want to see you throw it down every night.” Simon: “I think America will keep you around for awhile… this is very cabaret, very old fashioned. I don’t think you found the right song here.”
Kellie Pickler (Bonnie Raitt’s “Something to Talk About”) She had her first spinach salad and her first calamari in Los Angeles. Will she give us her first blowaway performance? Fantasia sang this song in season 3 with R&B pizazz. Fellow North Carolinian Kellie gives us a much more cornbread version. It’s solid and she’s adorable. Her personality will ride her easily into the top 5. Paula: “Can you get any cuter? You picked a good song for your vocals.” Randy: “You did your thing tonight. I love it. Right song. Right outfit.” Simon: “We cannot help but like you… It wasn’t the best vocal but the calamari is worth a lot of votes.”
Lisa Tucker (Jackson 5’s “Who’s Lovin’ You” ) — She talks about doing “The Lion King” for a year at age 10 and how overwhelming the Kodak Theatre felt. She takes a lesser known Jackson 5 song compared to what Will did last week and pulls it off. Very stylish, very professional. She’s got a real stage presence but man, she’s an old soul, not a teenager. Randy: “It still didn’t show you off. It was just alright.” Paula: “I’m disagreeing with you. When you’ve got it, you’ve got it, blah blah blah, you know what she’s going to say.” Simon: “Youv’e got to be smart about this. You don’t want to be a very young girl singing grownup songs. You will sail through tonight. Guaranteed.” Yes, Simon, I agree.
Paris Bennett (Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings”) — She shows off her fashion style before the song from an artist she actually told me is one of her favorites. It’s sap city, hard for me to love it regardless of how much I like Paris. She does a good job but no way I can give it a No. 1 slot due to song choice. Paula: “I like your fashion style tonight. I like the red shoes. You’re an amazing performer. Another young one who makes the competition incredible. Celebrate the fun adn the youth. We know you’re a great vcocalist.” Randy: “You’re a young Lauryn Hill… It’s just you don’t have to play it safe ever.” Simon: “What I think you have to avoid. You don’t want to turn this show into ‘I’m 17, I can sound 50.’ It’s boring. We know you can sing. Everything about you is like a little old lady. That’s a shame.” Paris says she chose it as her great grandma’s favorite song. Simon notes your “GREAT grandmother’s song. We’ll settle for auntie!”
Kinnik Sky (Gretchen Wilson’s “Here For the Party”) — Here’s a bit of a surprise. Kinnik goes country! Lots of verve and great outfit but mildly affected. She doesn’t quite hit the high note at the end that Gretchen does. She does okay. I think that will keep her in for another week. Randy: “I enjoyed you had the energy… you’re getting the stomp on. I like the song a lot on her but on you the song doesn’t have enough melody. At least I enjoyed the entertainment part.” Paula: “It’s about picking songs that show your amazing range.” Simon: “On the plus side, you did something to stand out in the crowd. Last week, you were just forgotten. On the downside, that’s something I’d expect to see after Magic Mountain or Disney Land… It was a theme park performance.”
6— Katharine McPhee (Stevie Wonder’s “All in Love is Fair”) — She rooms with Kellie Pickler. “We’re silly and dumb!” she exclaimed. Well, let’s see how she does with Stevie Wonder, the third Stevie song sung already in this competition (and so far, not a good choice). At least she doesn’t try to imitate Stevie. Man, I heard some bad notes there. Bleh! She has looks and charisma and a lovely ending. Randy: “You picked a safe choice… It wasn’t your best performance. It wasn’t my best choice of song.” Paula: “I’m going to agree with Randy. You move me. You move America… It wasn’t a song choice that connected with me as much.” Simon: “On a show like this Katharine. It is actually more than singing. It’s personality… They’re going to forget that performance after three or four songs. Not your best night by a mile.”
7— Ayla Brown (Celine Dion’s I Want You To Need Me”) zzzz… oh, wait. I’m still doing this, right? Bette Midler, now this??? Ayla is working it as hard as she can but man, I can’t stand this sap no matter how well she’s doing with it. Blub. Blub. I figured this was a Diane Warren special and checking google, I was right. Kill me now!!!! Paula: “I think you want this really bad… I’m enjoying how this is turning out for you.” Randy: “I really love the back story, admitting I was a tomboy. Now you have the makeup and glam thing. But Paula’s right. I was surprised. You picked a good song for your voice.” Simon: “You strike as the type of girl who got A’s in everything you do… You are working probably harder than anyone on the show so far. If I told you next week we’re going to juggle, you’ll juggle. Sometimes you need a bit of rawness. You perfect yourself, the problem I have is I’ll remember you as being good but won’t remember the song. Still a little bit mechanical to me.”
8—- Brenna Gethers (Donna Summer’s “Last Dance”) — She’s not growing on us. The little bio time before the song certainly doesn’t help. Makes me wish for Mikalah. That’s scary! At least she picks a fun song. I’m a big Donna Summer fan. “When I’m bad, I’m so so bad,” she croons, appropriately. She’s a better vocalist than Mikalah. It was good, not earth shattering. Paula: “I don’t see that magic happening from you.” (Wow, Paula!) Randy: “You and Simon are quite a bit alike. You never think anything’s bad. He always thinks he’s right. The attitude and vocals weren’t there tonight. Vocally, it was pitchy, not really inspired.” Simon: “I would song from dance to chance. We’re on holiday. We look over to the bar, there’s somebody murdering a Donna Summer. That’s what it came over… This may be the last we see of you.”
9— Melissa McGhee (Reba McEntire’s “Why Haven’t I Heard From You”) She’s one of those competent backup singers that lacks the “X” factor to get much further in this competition. She’s really trying hard and vocally is solid. But there’s no there there. Randy: “That song fit you. I could see you making a record like that. The smoky voice we like you returned. That was hot!” Paula: “You are coming out of your shell, blah blah blah.” Simon: “I don’t know what the problem is with you. I love your voice. I thought it was the wrong song. For some reason, I do not believe you are making connection yet with the audience.” I’m feeling you, Simon. (At this point, Paula is so disgusted, she switches places with Randy.)
10— Heather Cox(Mariah Carey’s “Hero”) — Holy Carey! Mariah (or her labels) finally cleared one of her songs after four Mariah-less seasons. Heather, an “Idol” addict, needs a kickin’ performance to survive next week. I’m not sure this was it. She’s sweet but vocally, she is no Mariah. She has decent timbre and pitch, but there’s nothing special there. Paula: “When you sing songs that the great Mariah Carey sings. You run the hugest risk of being compared to icons. There’s no one hotter than her. You did a good job but it wasn’t great.” Randy: “You look great… I hate when I say this. I work with Mariah. [Everyone groans] When you choose stylized songs by these singers… song choice, song choice, song choice.” Simon: “Paula and Randy actually spoke some sense. It was kind of like those ghastly pageants. Just before the finalist arrives. It came over like that. Sort of pointless really.”
