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http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-05-08-idol-coaches_x.htm?POE=click-refer

COACHING THE IDOLS : THE FINAL FAVORITES TO WIN IT ALL

The final four come under the scrutiny of our American Idol coaches —Rich Martini, Don Waller, Gene Sculatti and Rona Elliot. Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee are top-seeded on their ballots, while Elliott Yamin and Chris Daughtry sound a little seedy to the panel.

No. 1: Taylor Hicks: Something int he way he sings

Martini: Taylor's baaaack. It was fun to see him pull out the stops and knock at least Something out of the park, and have a solid double with his funky-white-boy version of Play That Funky Music. Let's face it, Taylor is a funky white boy, and has the most memorable voice, from an iPod POV, of any of the remaining Idols.

He has a bit of the best of Bill Clinton in him: Southern charm, sense of humor, and he's the guy most likely to garner a crowd while he rolls up his sleeves for the chicken and grits at the table. And he's probably the guy who will be elected to the highest office in the land, the Idol office that is, if he keeps up this enthusiasm and singing ability.

His choice of one goofy and one solid-gold tune was right on the money; and even his back flop with Ryan Seacrest will endear him to the Idol denizens.

A trip to Graceland will be like going home for him — being an Alabama boy, his roots are the same as the King from Tupelo. Velvet paintings aside, a Hicksville version of Hound Dog might be a natural fit for Taylor, but then so would Jailhouse Rock or Burnin' Love.

Waller: Solid vocal on Play That Funky Music, but his vaunted dance moves were more enthusastic than inspired — and all too familiar, especially at this stage in the contest. (If he was in the James Brown band, he'd have been fined a week's wages for that performance alone.)

Considering George Harrison wrote Something with Ray Charles in mind, I expected "Grey" Charles to get a little closer to downtown soulville than he did.

I'd prefer he went straight to the blue-eyed soulful side of Elvis (Suspicious Minds is the obvious choice) and kept the clownin' to a minimum. But if he has to do something uptempo, he'll be fine — providing he tightens up his choreography.

Sculatti: Say what you will about his asymmetric dancing or his energy surplus, he's the sole singer here with any real personality. None of his co-finalists would've clowned it up as he did on Play That Funky Music, but it's unlikely any of them would have delivered George Harrison's Something (easily the night's classiest piece of material) as coolly, since, as vocalists, all three hold lifetime memberships in Overheaters Anonymous.

Taylor held his ground, and I wouldn't discount his "real-ness" and natural affability as crucial assets in the final weeks.

Elliot: Taylor is the guy who keeps this race about something other than just musical talent. It's not that you don't need the musical talent, but Taylor also has charisma, an undeniable and certainly most mysterious and elemental component of stardom.

People love Taylor and relate to his obvious joy. Which is not to say there aren't Idol fans out there tired of his grin and performing antics, but I'd say most folks are on his side, because he's still in the game and there are only four people left. His singing style alone, I believe, would not have gotten him to this point.

Personally, I would have preferred to be in an altered state, which I wasn't, while Taylor sang Play That Funky Music, not so I could have partied hard with him, rather that I wouldn't have had to deal with his version of the song. The original tune was perfect, and all of his dancing and funky-chicken movements did nothing to enhance the original or make me forget it. Taylor was cute and obviously had fun with the song, but it was not Idol-esque. It was not going to get him crowned the victor in this race.

Something, by George Harrison, was better — a more beautiful song may not exist for me. Taylor delivered it with soul and restraint, the restraint part being unusual for him, but it was convincing. He also showed the power of his singing, which is often overlooked and overshadowed by shtick.

So Something was a good choice for him, and undoubtedly pulled the heartstrings of other boomers besides me who picked up the phone to vote.

It's universally thought that Taylor has an advantage with this week's Elvis tribute because Taylor is in his own territory. The blue-eyed soul and the Southern-roots thing should be a slam-dunk for him. Taylor's challenge then will be to find a song and not make a caricature of it. He needs to make it burn and make people forget Elvis' version, not an easy task, because people will be comparing the two, fair or not. Yes, keep the joy and fun thing going, Taylor, but get inside the song so we momentarily forget how the King did it. Deliver us with soul!

Taylor's likability factor is so strong that the final weeks in this race could turn on it. But Taylor, imagine yourself in some big arena with 10,000 people watching your every move; what is going to distinguish your performance? Personality alone will not cut it. You need the whole package.

No. 2: Katharine McPhee: No power ballads, please

Martini: McPhee on her knees was quite the tease. Against All Odds is an apt title for Katharine's journey to the final four, from a tentative debut to the rockin' version of Black Horse and the Cherry Tree that she knocked out of the park. I wasn't alone in predicting her chops would allow her to sail under the wire and through to the end, but she's going to have to continue to create a diversion to stop the Chris/Taylor juggernaut. At this stage, the audience's judgments seem to become a personality contest, with people voting for their favorite smile, rather than their favorite singer, so the more fun she has onstage, the further she'll go.

Katharine can wring emotion out of a simple song, and she has been busy taking elaborate tunes and proving she can hit almost all of the notes. My choice for her would be to take a simple heartbreaking love song and give it all she's got. In this case, Love Me Tender and Are You Lonesome Tonight are two songs she could score with, but in light of her playful side, Hard Headed Woman would be an apt but coy choice.

Waller: You wouldn't have thought it was possible, but that version of Against All Odds featured more obviously blown notes than gratuitiously inappropriate smiles from the odds-on choice to play Shannen Doherty's role when Hollywood decides to remake Heathers. And while Black Horse and the Cherry Tree was certainly a left-field choice of material, her vocal kept slip-sliding around with all the grace of a gazelle on snowshoes. Of course, when you're crawling around the stage with all the dignity of a legless pole-dancer, how many people are going to notice?

She can't move convincingly enough to sell a flat-out rocker a la Wanda Jackson's 1960 hit cover of Elvis' Let's Have a Party, but almost anything from late-'60s Memphis-era Elvis (Suspicious Minds, for example) would work. And please — please — PLEASE, don't indulge your taste for inspirational power-ballads (If I Can Dream).

Sculatti: Unlike Paris, Kat this week showed a fresh side. The knee-pads and box drums helped, but it was her loose, fun run through the Tunstall tune that did it. Finally, she chose — and sang — a song that seemed like it went with her perpetual smile. The performance trumped her apprentice-like take on Phil Collins' Against All Odds.

She's now, belatedly, moved up to real contender status, but she'll have to be at least this impressive next week.

Elliot: It's almost hard to forgive Katharine for her choice of Phil Collins' predictable power ballad Against All Odds from the year of her birth. Despite my intense loathing of Phil Collins' ballads, (which I sing along with anyway), I forgive her anyway; I can't help it. This young woman has the whole package — the charisma, the voice, the soul, the presentation — that I believe sets her apart from her competitors.

So despite her just OK interpretation of the ballad, she not only acquitted herself but redeemed herself completely with her delivery of Black Horse and the Cherry Tree against all odds. This oddball hit, delivered on her knees accompanied by handsome hunky men with drums, was a home run. She was sassy, sexy, soulful, playful, gorgeous and laughing at herself. She showed she could get out of the long gown thing and get down, literally. She needs more of that.

Katharine needs coaching to pick less-predictable ballads. She's shown over and over she can sing them until the cows come home. Now, it's time to pick some more subtle, personal and meaningful songs that show her strength but also show her personality.

With Elvis on the loose this week, Katharine needs to pick something a little sly, too, that allows her natural sensuality to couple with her powerful delivery. That's one of the things the King had going on and look where it got him.

Katharine is usually in command on stage, which is why her performance on her knees was such an unexpected and delightful surprise: She let go and you saw it. She needs to find an Elvis tune she can belt from a woman's perspective and invigorate it with all the qualities and commitment she's shown she can bring to a song, and make you forget about everyone else.

No. 3: Elliot Yamin: Where's the wow factor?

Martini: Despite a solid double with On Broadway, and a rocket single with Home, it feels as if it will take extra innings to keep Chris from heading in the direction of home plate this week. Elliott has done a yeoman's job on this show, and has really blossomed as of late. He comes off like a charming guy, but when all is said and done, it feels like he's warming up for the Idol Tour and not trying to snatch the Idol batting crown away from the rest of his team.

However, Elliott still has the ability to throw a solid curve into this round, and it will be fun to see which song from the Elvis oeuvre he chooses. Will it be a song title that was as prescient from the previous evening as singing the lyric "I want to go home?"

He might be careful of choosing Return to Sender, or maybe go the other way with a shout-out to Simon: Don't Be Cruel. But Elliott should nota bene: It's Now or Never.

Waller: Continues to perform like he's wearing a truss. All that finger-snapping shtick during On Broadway was so reminiscent of Bill Murray's old Saturday Night Live lounge-singer character that I kept expecting him to break into "Star Wars — nothin' but Star Wars" any second.

Home was at least professionally sung, but the cumulative effect was more sleep-inducing than a plateful of chocolate-chip cookies and a glass of warm milk. Producers are doing him a huge favor by making sure the microphone is always obscuring his snaggle-toothed grill.

Any familiar Elvis ballad (Can't Help Falling in Love, blah blah blah) will work next week, so long as he keeps that vibrato in check. Chimpanzees share more of a DNA connection with humans than Elliott does with the rockin' side of Elvis.

Sculatti: He might have fared better had he been able to reverse his song order. The Michael Bublé track is a pretty undistinguished song, and Elliott's George Benson-ized On Broadway at least ran at a higher r.p.m., which might have left viewers and voters with a better impression.

Still, he continues to come across as an earnest contender, a powerful singer who may not be endowed with the "wow" that Simon routinely (and rightly) calls for. Unless he can pull something out of his hat, next week could really take him Home.

Elliot: If there was a compassion vote as this race winds to its finish, it would go to Elliott. There is an enormous groundswell of love and respect for this man and the long way he's come. He's also got the chops, and usually picks great songs to showcase his mastery at delivering moment-by-moment meaning to the song he's singing.

That was lacking this past week. On Broadway just didn't cut it, because among other things it was just too familiar, and there was too much physical movement when he was onstage. Too many disjointed hand movements, crotch-grabbing, flailing arms like a bird trying to take off. It was like a crash course in "How to make modern hip-hop movements your own if you're a mainstream crooner." Painful.

Elliott's rendition of the Michael Bublé song served him better. It was simple and direct and allowed you to focus on his beautiful voice and lyrics, but unfortunately it was stone-cold mediocre in my book. Nice, but not thrilling like A Song for You.

A tip for Elliott: I remember seeing Elvis sing in Las Vegas when he was the size of a beached whale. Even with the tacky jumpsuits it made no difference. You just stopped breathing when he was onstage. You couldn't take your eyes off him. The man had Charisma with a capital C, emanating effortlessly from every pore in his body. He wasn't working it, it was who he was.

This is where Elliott needs to focus his attention to stay in this competition. Inside himself. Of course, he needs to get relaxed with his song choice, something with an interesting and complex rhythmic pattern. But for Elliott it's about where he's at with himself when he's onstage. When he's relaxed in his song, he's more confident. When he's more confident, you see his natural charm and charisma emerging and you start rooting for him. So Elliott, to stay in the race, show us that confidence we know is there one more time or you'll be packing your bags this week or next.

No. 4: Chris Daughtry: Ditto on the ballads

Martini: Chris chose two songs that sounded like they came from the same track. Renegade felt like it merged somewhere into I Dare You, and the higher register of Chris' voice began to melt like the polar ice caps.

Admitting he'd done five rehearsals that day, he proved he's giving it all he's got; however, a seasoned pro learns to hold back his "performance voice" till curtain time. As for song choice, when he was able to choose two songs, why not pick ones from the opposite sides of the plate?

Chris has a powerhouse voice, but he's also got the ability to croon with the best of them, and he needs to focus on his ability to connect with the audience for these final shows, or it won't matter if he can get that upper register back. This will probably be a neck-and-neck race to the finish with Taylor, that other Southern charmer.

Methinks Chris will score with Elvis. The question is if he can have as much fun as the King did onstage, and not take himself too seriously. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear would be a nice switch for him, as would an Elvis the Pelvis version of All Shook Up.

Waller: If there was any justice in the next world, covering Styx would guarantee this faux-rocker a place in Hades. How come he wasn't crushed by a miniature version of Stonehenge?

As for I Dare You, let's just say that if he ever records a Christmas album, we can expect to hear everything from Jingle Bells to Silent Night sung in the same woolly mammoth-trapped-in-the La Brea tarpits voice. Except trapped mammoths generally do a better job of trumpeting their pain, especially in their upper registers.

Gotta be Jailhouse Rock next week. (He can borrow the Jeff Beck Group in which Rod Stewart was the lead vocalist's arrangement.). If he turns in another strained ballad, the Elvis in me is gonna shoot out my TV set.

Sculatti: Quick, get this guy to an arena (wrestling or bullfight) where he can bellow freely. This week's two-song requirement really exposed the limitations of the show's designated "rocker."

If it's standardized, '90s bad-boy posing that voters prize above all else, so be it. If there's a God, how about some props for emotional range, warmth and (would it be too much to ask?) a touch of humor?

Elliot: After lo these many weeks, I'm resigned to the fact that Chris just has bad taste in rock 'n' roll, incomprehensible as that may seem. I know he's the odds-on favorite in this race, but this viewer for one is exhausted from watching his strained, dour rock 'n' roll pose week after week. The obligatory chain hanging off the paints, the tedious black outfits! It feels like I'm witnessing a one trick pony in action.

There were the standard 365 days in 1979, and I just know there had to have been a better song choice than the one Chris picked. Weeks of being subjected to songs from Styx and Creed and now Shinedown have worn me down, and I feel trapped on the road to rock hell complete with burning flames onstage (which we've also seen before) as the backdrop. Can you imagine paying the big bucks to go to a concert and hearing Chris sings 12 tunes like these? Help!

Chris has both a tender side and a beautiful voice, which he aptly drew on during the song What a Wonderful World a few weeks back. We need to see and hear those qualities again to be reminded there's more than his "I stand alone as the alienated, misunderstood man " routine, which has worn thin.

An Idol needs some versatility — how else to sustain a career that doesn't flame out after a few years? Move around onstage, Chris and move your body, not just the mike stand. You're trapped in an act that has one note. To quote Bono, "You've got yourself stuck in a moment and you can't get out of it."

This week when you're picking your Elvis song, remember the King was all about sexy and rocking and rhythmic songs delivered with a sly wink and a nod to the audience. He always knew the whole thing was preposterous! He was dubbed Elvis the Pelvis, for God's sake. So when you're flipping through the Elvis catalogue, think about that and include it in your act.

Take a card from Taylor's songbook too, Chris. Laugh at yourself some. Let the audience know you think all of this competition is funny and fun too. Come up with an Elvis tune with palpable heart and soul and sex of course, but humor too. You've got the rock bona fides down, now, expand your repertoire.

Coaches' ratings for last week:

Martini: Taylor, Katharine, Chris, Elliott

Waller: Elliott, Taylor, Katharine, Chris

Sculatti: Katharie, Taylor, Elliott, Chris

Elliot: Katharine, Taylor, Elliott, Chris

Bonus musings from Don Waller:

Last week's show: Another ridiculous theme night, courtesy the show's increasingly clueless producers. What's next? Songs that were originally sung in Disney movies and songs that were once available on 8-track tapes?

Meanwhile, the songs were so sliced 'n' diced to fit all 10 of 'em into the hour-long show that all the contestants' performances seemed even more disjointed than usual, and it was extremely difficult for anyone to build any kind of momentum within the time allotted to each tune.

More shockingly, especially for this late in the competition, there were no standout performances — every one was (at best) mediocre. And absolutely no one put their own stamp on the material.

The departed Paris Bennett: As the most consistent performer every week, she can do anything she wants in her post-Idol life. Hook her up with any decent producer and she could easily make a chartbusting R&B record. She can always transition into singing standards, jazz, etc. Or she can become the doctor she said she wanted to be. The world certainly needs more of 'em than it does pop singers.

Given her considerable vocal skills — and shaky spot in the standings — I expected her to roar through Kiss as if she were the reincarnation of one of James Brown's "funky divas" (Vicki Anderson, Lyn Collins, Marva Whitney, et al.), which she didn't. 'Twasn't bad, but 'twasn't anything magical about it either. Be Without You showed her voice is as good as anyone on urban contemporary radio — including Mary J. Blige, whose elevation to contemporary diva status speaks more about her lack of generational competition than anything else — but that's a threadbare piece of material that no one will be covering in five, 10, 15 years, and there wasn't enough room to allow the dramatics to build in anything resembling an organic manner.

Next week's theme: Elvis Presley + Tommy Mottola = ?!?!?! Well, obviously, they weren't going to have Lisa Marie Presley giving the career advice.

The Presley catalog is as vast as America itself. Easily something for everyone there.

THE CASE FOR ELLIOTT YAMIN

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_27265646.shtml

American Idol: It’s Time to Take Elliott Yamin Seriously

By Shirley Kennedy
May 9, 2006

I have some things I want to say about American Idol. Bear with me; it's long, but I believe it’s worth the read. Let’s talk about fairness. The patent response to the question of fairness is typically, “life isn’t fair.” That may be true, but when one is in a position to make life fair, he/she should do everything in his/her power to make that happen.

"Disillusioned Idol"

At the very least, one should not go out of the way to make life unfair, but that is exactly what is happening to Elliott Yamin on American Idol.

American Idol is a “singing” (yes, I use the term loosely) competition with a viewership that has grown to the point of making this show one of the most watched on television. The supposed object of this study in human psychology is to have the American public choose the show’s next superstar. When I first began watching this show in 2003, I was under the impression that the producers were searching for the best unknown, untapped talent, which they would then mold into a star. I was further under the impression that the show was designed for amateurs who had little or no entertainment experience but who possess vocal talents beyond belief. This year, that talent has materialized in the person of Elliott Yamin. I have not heard a voice this good since Luther Vandross died. Yes, he’s “green,” but isn’t that what the show is supposed to be about? Apparently, not anymore.

Many of the contestants have performed with bands for many years, and some even have CDs available for purchase (I own Taylor Hicks’s “Under the Radar,” where he sounds way better than he ever has on this show). Others have been trained in the art of voice for most of their lives or have honed their skills in beauty pageants and the like. The rules state that as long as these performers don’t have recording contracts, they are eligible to participate in the show. That seems fair enough, at least on the surface; however, when truly untrained, inexperienced contestants are chosen for the show, those contestants are constantly compared to those with more experience and are told that “you lack performance skills.” Interestingly, though Elliott is often accused of “lacking performance skills,” I fail to see the difference between his and Chris Daughtry’s “performance skills.” Chris typically stands in one spot—just like Elliott—except he cocks his head from side to side; I guess that more qualifies as “performing.” At this point, the “singing competition” is apparently no longer about the voice but about superficial issues, especially looks, which seems to be the sole focus of Simon Cowell.

When the season began this year, I tuned in because of Mandisa Hundley, to whom I have a personal connection. I was really impressed with Mandisa and began voting for her. When she was prematurely eliminated following “country night,” I had just about decided not to watch anymore. However, a friend of mine encouraged me to watch “Queen night” for the comic value, as she believed that none of the contestants save Mandisa could pull off a Queen song. She was wrong; that was the night I totally realized the talents of Elliott Yamin, and I have been rabidly voting for him ever since. This kid has yet to sing a note out of tune, he always chooses the hardest songs from the show’s lists (and performs them really well), and he attacks each song with such enthusiasm that you can’t help but pull for him. Each week, however, I sit in awe as the judges give him lukewarm receptions, even after Simon declared him “possibly the best male vocalist we have had in five years” upon his first appearance in the top 24 (pssst–Simon, he’s the best vocalist you’ve ever had, period).

From the time the show began this year, Simon has been quoted as saying that, “either Taylor, Chris, or Kellie will win this year.” Now that Kellie has been eliminated, it is now “either Taylor or Chris” who will win, “with Katharine a close third.” I hate to tell Simon, but there are still four contestants in this competition. He appeared on Good Morning America on Thursday morning following eliminations and spoke of Taylor, Chris, and Katharine as if they are the only remaining contestants in the running. Perhaps, in his mind, they are. Prior to Simon’s blatant disregard of Elliott Yamin, Nigel Lythgoe, the show’s executive producer, appeared on a radio talk show on elimination day, apparently, to do no more than to denigrate Elliott Yamin and Paris Bennett, while praising Katharine McPhee, who was woefully off-key on her first song. By the way, Simon was right the first time about Katharine’s performance of “I Have Nothing;” Vonzell Solomon, who was also ignored by this show last year, did a much better version. While Nigel had no problem saying on the radio that Elliott did a “poor” job of “On Broadway” and that “Scotty Savol did a better version last year,” notice that he never mentioned Vonzell’s better version of Katharine’s song.

Meanwhile, Randy was heard on the Ellen DeGeneres show, singing the praises of Chris Daughtry (or “pimping Chris," as the show’s fans are wont to say), and when Ellen inquired about Elliott, Randy’s response was, “He’ll never win.” To get to my point, American Idol is supposed to be a show in which the American public chooses the next pop superstar, but I’m driven to ask how America can choose when the very people who created the show go out into the public arena with the purpose of manipulating the public into voting for who they want? Why not just take the public out of the mix and choose for themselves? I’m beginning to totally miss the point of the American public’s votes.

Many people will wonder why I care; after all, it is “only a TV show.” That may be true, but I am supposed to be able to cast my votes for whomever I choose, preferably, without the judges and producers attempting to send me subliminal messages about whom to choose. I resent the manipulations that go on behind this show, and I resent it even more when an extremely talented young man is being pushed to the background because the powers that be at this show for some reason do not desire to see him succeed. I am frankly appalled at the behavior of these so-called professionals. Because of early negative discussions about Elliott's looks (which I see absolutely nothing wrong with), I believe the producers and judges of American Idol fail to see Elliott’s marketability. What a negative message to give to the world: "Only the beautiful need apply." Where does that leave the rest of us? However, I digress. Let’s just examine how marketable Elliott Yamin might possibly be in the real world.

I am a huge music fan, owning in excess of 300 fairly current CDs; I buy at least one CD every other week or so. I love music, but most of all, I love good music. I have downloaded every one of Elliott’s performances to my MP3 and have burned a CD for myself, hoping that will hold me until he makes a real one. The night that Elliott sang “A Song For You,” he shared with the audience that he would like nothing more than to “bring Donny Hathaway’s music back to the forefront.” That night, Donny Hathaway’s greatest hits languished in position number 4,205 on Amazon.com. Today, the CD is at #523, down from #460 yesterday and, reportedly, went as high as #5. These numbers are no coincidence. The reviews by purchasers heartwarmingly thank Elliott for introducing them to Donny Hathaway's music. Everyone with whom I work who watches this show and who used to vote for various other contestants now all vote for Elliott Yamin. Personally, I believe Elliott to be extremely marketable in the R&B/soul, jazz, and pop genres, but the problem for the producers and judges of this show is that he doesn’t hit their coveted demographic of 18 to 25 year olds, whom they believe to hold the purchasing power in music. I beg to differ. I work with a woman, who is in her early 40s, who refuses to buy music today because the emphasis has been taken from singing ability to looks; she also now owns an Elliott Yamin “homemade” CD. He’s not marketable? Again, I beg to differ.

Bottom line, regardless of who the producers and judges want to win this thing, they should allow the contest to fairly proceed. Going on television and radio to denigrate or ignore one of the contestants is not only childish and mean, it is downright ugly. I give props to Paula for being the only person from this show who does not engage in such mean-spirited, unprofessional behavior. This behavior is inappropriate, and it needs to stop. For me, this will be my last season watching this show or contributing to its growth. Each year that I have watched this show, I have attended the concerts, bought memorabilia at the concerts, and bought the compilation CDs. Not this year. Thank God for downloading; I will be purchasing via download Mandisa’s and Elliott’s songs from the compilation CD, but no way would I purchase the whole thing now. I’m willing to give Idol $1.80, but that’s about it. No concert, no souvenirs, no nothing. I am sick to death of the behavior of this show’s executive producer and two of its judges; they make me literally ill. I am so sure the producers could care less about one person refusing to watch them purposely hurt people on live television, but they should consider that, perhaps, I am not the only one who feels this way. Following the year that Ruben Studdard won the title, conspiracy theories and claims of rigging could be found just about anywhere on the Internet. I chose not to buy into such talk, as I found the very thought ridiculous. Now, however, I am starting to change my mind, given the behavior of Idol’s executive producer and Simon’s apparent psychic abilities of predicting who will win and why. If Elliott Yamin is eliminated next Wednesday, I will be a full-fledged believer in rigging and conspiracy theories at this show. After all, Simon has predicted it to be so.

In the final analysis, AI needs to check itself. Their treatment of Elliott Yamin this year is an embarrassment. I thought they treated Clay Aiken–who went on to outsell AI’s winner–badly, but compared to the show’s treatment of Elliott this year, they treated Clay like a king. My hope and prayer is that Elliott lands in the right hands, and when he outsells the AI cookie-cutter winner this year, AI’s executive producer will take a step back and look at his, Randy Jackson, and Simon Cowell’s behavior and how that behavior affects others. It’s one thing to make money; it’s another to purposely hurt people to make money. Shame on all of them. My further hope and prayer is that talented singers such as Elliott Yamin, Mandisa Hundley, and Paris Bennett find a better, more fair outlet for their talent, and I can, once again, enjoy seeing new talent discovered on television.

Shirley has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with an emphasis on Creative Writing, from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Phoenix

COUNTRY STAR, TIM MCGRAW IS A TAYLOR HICKS FAN

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/artandlife/1404AP_People_Tim_McGraw.html

Tim McGraw an 'American Idol' fan

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES -- "American Idol" has more than 30 million fans across the country each week - and Grammy winner Tim McGraw is one of them.

Asked during a recent interview if he watched the popular Fox talent competition, McGraw said, "I do. The kids love it." McGraw and his wife, fellow Grammy winner Faith Hill, have three daughters.

"I would have never gotten past the audition stage," the 39-year-old country star said, referring to the elimination rounds during the talent search for the show.

He has a favorite this season, too. "I like the gray-haired guy. Taylor Hicks. I think he's real," McGraw said.

Hicks is one of four contestants remaining in the "American Idol" competition.

For those of you on delayed telecast.... if you don't want your drama spoiled ( as if you can resist the temptation to view the internet ), STOP RIGHT HERE AND READ NO FURTHER. Tonight's results show is a shocker.

I can think of several titles and sub-titles for this post.... among them ---- TI TS BEATS TALENT, THE REVENGE OF THE RETROS, SHOCKER FOR THE ROCKER... But this is would be the most appropriate to sum up what happened tonight --- THE KAT HAS NINE LIVES !

If you guys on delayed telecast still don't know from the above titles what happened, I guess you have not being paying attention.

\

The show opened early on with the Car-mercial.

I've been getting e-mails from those living overseas telling me that the Car-mercial is not being shown in their country and instead they have their own commercials. Well, too bad. Most of them were quite clever and interesting.

Anyway, if you're interested, here is a description ( and NO I DON'T DRIVE A FORD ).

This week's Ford commercial was strange. Kat drives her FORD SUV to her garage, opens the garage door and see's the entire place a mess.

The 3 guys come in as working crew-men and proceeds to clean her garage up making it look all GREEN as in a rain-forest.

Then, camera pans back to the FORD SUV and we see Kat sitting with none other than KERMIT THE FROG. Who then says --- "Well, I guess it really isn't easy being green"

Anyway, On with the show.....

First up --- The Kids Tour Graceland

Yesterday, I begged and demanded that the audience be taken on a tour to Graceland with the Idols. Looks like someone heard my request.

We were treated to a little tour of Graceland that was actually pretty cool. Priscilla and Lisa Marie show up--and we get to see the Jungle Room. Yay. It was Elvis's favorite room. And Elvis is buried in the backyard.

Then, we have a tour of the Elvis trophy room where awards, trophies, grammies and other paraphernalia are prominently displayed (the man had over 120 Gold and Platinum records !! TOP THAT ). We get to see memorabilias of his Vegas concert and his famed White Jumpsuits.

Then on to a golf cart tour outside the mansion where Lisa Marie drives the Idols OUTSIDE the compound to meet the fans all waiting outside the walls....

ON TO THE ELVIS PRESLEY MEDLEY...

FUN STUFF. Elvis is always about having fun.

With 4 contestants left, everyone got a solo, and of course, the Elvis songs rocked.

The singing was mostly really good, with some stand-out solos, especially from Taylor. It was funny when they all gathered 'round Paula and sang "This time the girl is gonna stay." ( this was actually a BJ Thomas hit which Elvis made into an EVEN BIGGER HIT at his Vegas concert ).

And for those ROCK PURISTS out there who don't want to see angry ALT-ROCKERS compromise..... LOOKIE HERE ---- CHRIS DAUGHTRY GETS TO DO HIS SOLO BY SINGING ( get this ) ---- the schmaltzy -- LOVE ME TENDER.

Ask yourself this question --- IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE DAUGHTRY BECOME ? You better be prepared because if he signs on with 19E, these idiots might just cause him to sing stuff like that !

And the four of them dancing on the little judges platform wasn't exactly a Pointy Pose, but it was fun with a capital "F". It was a million times better than last weeks piece o' crap medley. How could it not be? Elvis can never be boring. That's why he's DA KING.

Folks, give us good songs and good music anyday and I can guarantee you a good show with talent like these 4 left.

Now now now, we've been lulled into a false sense of complacency, it is time to announce the departure !!!

But no, it was NOT YET TO BE.

Ryan Seacrest goes to the audience to chat with moive star Rebecca Romijn and her most recent fiance Jerry O'Connell ( remember, she was married to actor John Stamos of FULL HOUSE before ). She plugs some show she's on and then gets a free plug for her fil X-MEN 3 ( yep, she plays the shape changing mutant , MYSTIQUE in that movie ). I thought this was just a short exchange, but no.... she continues to prattle on about freaking out, and how she's so nervous for the idols, and WOW, she loves them all!. Shut up Rebecca! Someone's heart is about to be broken tonight, Why are you hogging the camera?

I think the whole thing was scripted to fill in the time....

Rebecca asks if she can make a request. She asks Taylor if he'll reprise his performance of "Jailhouse Rock".

Huh? Wha? Celebrities are asking contestants to perform sing-outs now? Is this a sing-out? Or is it a fake-out? Hmmm. Is this going to be a new way of saying goodbye to a contestant expected to be eliminated so that he gets more time to say thanks in the end ?

Questions, questions.....

Taylor doesn't look surprised or upset. Unlike his soul-patrollers, which tells me that the whole thing is scripted. BUT WHY TAYLOR ? WHY NOT CHRIS ? OR ELLOTT OR KAT ? WHY SPECIFICALLY HIM ?

Anyway, this is a no win answer. If Rebecca chooses any of the other 3 to sing, the questions would still remain. Somebody's gotta do it to fill the time, it might as well be someone who could make it half-fun.

So, Gray Charles runs into the audience and picks up a mike. Then he grabs his Dad and gets him to dance. Oops, wrong season ( that was when Jon Peter Lewis did it for his swan song ). Actually, he grabs Elliott's mom and gets her to dance. Hee. This performance is a lot looser than the night before. There's more audience participation, and it comes off very much like a singout...except...

It's not a singout. IT WAS A TOTAL FAKE-OUT.

After the singout, Ryan asks Taylor to stay on the stage, pulls Elliott beside him and then Chris and Kat together. OH OH !! THIS CAN'T BE GOOD.

We're now 23 minutes into the show. After the usual AFTER THE BREAK schtick they play on us every Wednesday....

we come back and there's only 5 minutes left.

Ryan teases us again with that semi-dramatic ----- who could be safe? who could be out? walking back and forth between the two groups.

He finally tells Taylor and Elliott to sit down, because they're safe.

Kat looks like she's about to break down. The four hug each other. Taylor and Elliott sit down. Ryan asks Simon who he thinks will leave.

I've never seen Simon this hesitant before.... finally after posing a few seconds with some thought, he says, based on last night's performance, Katharine. The audience boos.

But folks -- FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN ON TO THIS SHOW FOR 5 SEASONS, YOU SHOULD KNOW.

IT IS NOT AND NEVER BEEN ABOUT LAST NIGHT's PERFOMANCE. IT IS ABOUT FAN BASE AND GROWING AND MAINTAINING THEIR LOYALTY.
IF THEY LOVE YOU FOR DOING ONE GENRE AND YOU PERFORM ANOTHER ONE, THEY'D PROBABLY BE LESS ENTHUSED TO VOTE FOR YOU IF THIS CONTINUES WEEK AFTER WEEK.

Think of it as like the Tour D' France. You might lose a few laps, but OVERALL, if you keep the Yellow Jersey, you still win the ultimate race.

American Idol is a BICYCLE MARATHON, not a sprint.

So, who is going to be serenaded by Daniel Powter's HAVE A BAD DAY ( made famous by American Idol and now on top of the charts I migt add ).

Then Ryan says, "A lot of people predicted, both of you could be in our finale. A lot of people predicted that Chris, that you could be the next American Idol." Chris is smiling. But then Ryan quickly adds, "Chris, you are going home tonight." Chris's face suddenly falls. He is truly shocked. Katharine is utterly shocked. Paula has her head in her hands. Simon looks just pale and speechless, twidling his fingers under his chin in disbelief.

Katharine makes her way to the couch and a look of relief washes over her face. Ryan asks Chris if he's in shock, "uh, I'm a little bit in shock," he says. And he really is. After Chris's bad day montage, he gets a half-minute sing out ( which will guarantee that his fans are going to be pi ssed at Taylor for hogging the time ).

So, what was up with having Taylor, who was Top 2 sing "Jailhouse Rock" again? Was that merely a fake-out? What it did was put Taylor on the spot and deprive Chris of a full, well-deserved singout. THIS IS SOOOO UNFAIR. I felt bad for Chris. It just felt like the man has been SUCKER PUNCHED. HE DESERVED BETTER. This whole sing-out thing was POINTLESS and UN-NECESSARY. WHY DID YOU DO IT NIGEL ??

As I said before, the top 4 has given us our share of surprises in the past. This season is another one. Name them -- Tamyra, Latoya, and now Chris Daughtry.

But of course, at this stage of the competition, with the numbers whittled down to a few, everyone is vulnerable. Just ask Tarmara Gray S1 and LaToya London S3--both pimped and favored--both eliminated in 4th place.

So is Katharine McPhee this season's Scott Savol? Kat has had a sub-par performance last night, and she's managed to survive. THE KAT INDEED HAS NINE LIVES !

AS USUAL, DIALIDOL.COM WAS SPOT ON. Go to their website.

Heck, if you've been right for 5 straight weeks about the bottom 3 or 2, there is reason to trust your figures. And note --- they are similar to exit polls after an election. THEY DO GET A REMARKABLE SAMPLING OF THE VOTING PUBLIC.

It was the best top four ever, but somebody had to go home. Still, that somebody obviously wasn’t going to be Chris, right? Wrong. While many thought he was destined to be in the finale – and perhaps win it all – Chris was eliminated in fourth place. Considering that even Katharine and yes, SIMON was obviously shocked, what happened? Why did Chris lose?

Few people predicted that Chris would fall at this point. Could that certainty have affected the result? Or was it because he was a rocker? Or… Well, no point in randomly guessing when we can look back at What ‘American Idol 5’ Contestants Need to Know to get an idea of what went wrong for Chris.

The first rule, as always, is to have singing and performing talent. I don’t think there is any doubt, even among non-fans of Chris, that he has plenty of talent. But frankly, so do all the final four. Chris’ talent certainly got him to this point, but it takes more than that now.

Getting back to his recent performances, last night gave us a bit of a mixed bag. His first song, “Suspicious Minds,” got a “nice” from Randy, a “see you in the finals” from Paula, and a “that worked” from Simon. I personally thought it was a great song choice for his style.

As for the second performance, Randy and Paula were generally positive, but Simon felt it was mostly flat and just okay. I personally felt that it was not a good song to highlight his vocal talents. The song required a FUN persona and Chris's persona is NOT FUN, It is ANGRY and REBELIOUS and YOU WANT TO TAKE ME ON ? Kinda persona. You can't have this personality and sing that song.

So, poor song choice did Chris in. This week, I think Taylor cleverly picked two absolutely perfect songs. One allowed him to dance and show his personality, the other allowed him to just wow us with his voice. Chris, however, picked one good song and one that DID NOT FIT. I can’t say it was definitely bad because some people did like it. I didn’t. As I noted earlier, I think he should have picked something that allowed him to show more of his vocal talent.

Now here is where Chris got killed in this competition ---- In this contest, you must show that YOU CONSISTENTLY ARE ABLE TO SING IN DIFFERENT GENRES. This is NOT AUDITIONING FOR NASHVILE STAR ( where the only genre is country ), or being the lead singer of INXS ( where the main genre is rock ).

Chris was both praised and then criticized by Simon for sticking to the rocker sound. While I believe the ability to sing different themes is really a pointless excersise career-wise (after all, when is Chris ever going to be singing songs from the ‘50s on his CD?), the fact is that they do serve to show us the range of our performers.

In the beginning, Chris cleverly manipulated songs into his rock zone He did the Red Hot Chili Peppers' version of Stevie Wonder and discovered LIVE's rock version of Johnny Cash' WALK THE LINE ( still one of the greatest performances in American Idol in my book ).

Later, he did show that he could surprise people and perform non-rock tunes. It was perhaps at that point I really thought he had it in the bag. He actually DID GREAT with Louis Armstrong's WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD !! Amazing versatility.

But that was also the week when i began to realize that his fans were NOT as loyal to him as I thought. THEY JUST WANT HIM TO BE THE ROCKER THATHE IS AND THEY DO *NOT* ENJOY HIM BEING OTHERWISE. They promptly abandoned him to the bottom 3 in American Standards Night. NOT A GOOD SIGN.

Later on however, here is where vocal consistency began to emerge.

Last week, Chris took some flack because of some vocal weakness in his second song. I didn’t personally think it was a big deal, but we’ve already established that it’s not all about what I think – it’s about what the overall viewing audience thinks.

There was one factor beyond anyone's control. Looking at the top four, we had three guys and one young lady. It was almost inevitable that the three guys would bump up against at least some vote-splitting, while anybody who wanted a woman to win had only one selection.

It is true that Taylor, Elliott, and Chris have completely different styles. But it’s also true that I know of more than a few people who had been voting for Chris but have more recently been spending a lot of time dialing to keep Elliott around. That certainy affected Chris ( and WILL AFFECT TAYLOR -- more on this later).

The only issue here is that a large part of the package that is Chris is that he’s a rocker. Yes, he sang some other songs, but it was always clear where his true musical roots lie.

So the question is whether a rocker can win American Idol. Honestly, I don’t know that we’ll ever get another contender with as good a chance as Chris. Yes, Bo was a rocker, but he was a Southern rocker, thus targeting a somewhat different audience. For one thing, recent polls have shown that Southern households watch Idol more than others (a fact that may be borne out by looking at how many Southern contestants have made it to the end in five seasons). Chris’ brand of rock and roll went after a different audience, and that audience may simply be too narrow to win on Idol.

This is of course a lesson for Simon and the rest of the 19 Entertainment crew ----- LOOK AT Chris Daughtry's fan base. And then ask yourself this question ---- ARE THEY BIG ENOUGH ? IN FACT, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY, NOT ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN HIM.

Notice that as the show nears its end, more people tend to watch and vote ( that is the reason why voting numbers SPIKE the closer we are to the finals ).

HERE IS A RULE YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BANK : AS THE VOTING AUDIENCE INCREASES, THE POWER OF YOUR NARROW FAN BASE WILL TEND TO ERODE !!

I'm going to miss Chris. While sometimes predictable, his performances were mostly always solid. And contrary to conventional wisdom, I thought Chris connected very well to the emotional core of a song. But it really depends on what songs he is allowed to sing. Some people complain that he yess and screams, but DUH !! THAT IS WHAT YOU EXPECT OF AN ALT-ROCK singer as if you don't know ( or are you so narrow minded that all you can think of is opera ?? Heck, even Pavarotti did a duet with Sting ).

In the long run, I think it is all good ---- Chris's early departure is more proof that rock music and American Idol will mix only so far. THIS WON'T BE GOOD FOR ROCKERS NEXT SEASON ( if we ever have an AI 6 ).

Let's be honest with ourselves and ask the question -- IF CHRIS HAD WON, WHAT KIND OF RECORD WOULD HE HAVE MADE WITH 19 E at the helm ?
These folks don't strike me as very savy when it comes to this market niche. They're all about Hillary Duff, Jessica Simpson, pop tart type of singers.

Had Chris won, do you think his record would be played by ANY , YES ANY ROCK STATION in the nation ? Heck. I'd bet they wouldn't touch him with a ten foot poll tainted with the 19 E disease.

Idol is anathema to the hipper-than-thou alt-rock crowd.

In the end, we'd be seeing Chris doing a less than stellar POP record ( look what they did to Bo Bice for instance ).

Now that Chris is well known, he should use this opportunity to take control of his record and career.

And here is the problem with selling your soul to the AI machine --- The non-winners can't sign a contract until 3 months after the AI tour ends. His fans will have to wait awhile for some music. So, you have to wait till next year to hear Chris' record if he comes out with one.

Hopefully, we 'll hear more of THE REAL CHRIS DAUGHTRY --- THE UN-WATERED VERSION.

BTW, the same thing I said about Chris applies to ONLY ONE OTHER CONTESTANT LEFT, who by my estimate, HAS NEVER BEEN AT NUMBER 2 AND HAS THE MOST SOLID FAN BASE ---- Taylor Hicks.

You fans of his --- BE HONEST WITH YOURSELVES AND DON'T LIE --- are you prepared to hear him on the radio singing songs with ttiles like --- "A MOMENT INSIDE YOUR HEAVEN WITH WINGS" ?

It would for me, be a DREADFUL HANDS OVER THE CHALKBOARD MOMENT !!

I just wish , WISH the AI machine would really leave Taylor alone if he gets to the finals and ALLOW HIM TO SING HIS OWN SONGS IN CORONATION NIGHT.

Look ---- Being a late baby boomer, I will admit that I am a fan of Taylor's type of music. What we have been witnessing here with Taylor being number one every week is THE REVENGE OF THE RETROS.

For the past decade what people like me have been subjected to his pure crap. Some producer finds one hip-hop, rap, grunge, rock, pop singer successful, and what do they do ? They go on and find another 10 or 20 who make EXACTLY the same kind of music. The result is airwaves filled with the same sort of banal sound.

NO WONDER THE GRAMMY RATINGS ARE DOWN AND SO ARE CD SALES !

The people who have the money ( People like me and many Gen Xers ) are being UNDER-SERVED.

Along comes a guy like TAYLOR HICKS.... a late Gen -Xer who appreciates the sort of music we like and we say to ourselves ... YES ! Our kind of music has returned to the spotlight ! NO WONDER TAYLOR IS GETTING THE VOTES ! He is the anti-type. It is as if the 60's generation are staging a reverse rebellion. This time with their DIALING and POCKET BOOKS.

HENCE -- WE HAVE THE REVENGE OF THE RETROS.

Unfortunately, what I just descrined about Chris WILL APPLY TO Taylor as well. That is why as much as I am a fan of his, I want him to go next week.

So, for me, a Happy ending for all and the music industry would be a Katharine vs Elliott finale. They fit the AI mould.

I am going to follow the pattern the great Economist and Author, Thomas Sowell established by writing some of my random thoughts about this interesting sociological phenomenon called American Idol. Here goes....

Simon originally conceived of American Idol in the mold
of the hit British show, Pop Idol. He did not expect it to go beyond 2 seasons.

His original intent was to find the next pop star he could market. Never in his mind did he imagine the show to morph into what it has become today...

Who was the one who started the ROCK trend in American Idol ?

The answer is an obscure guy named Patrick Lake in season 2. In his audition, he said he wanted to bring a "rock" edge to the show...

Even then, Paula and Randy were insightful enough to let Patrick go through. SImon of course said, NO.

Unfortunately, the format then was different. It did not allow for the top 24 to be judged by the public. When Patrick performed in the top 24, the judges were the ones who voted and Pat, instead of choosing a rock song, compromised and mellowed down.

Simon said allowed that putting him through was a big mistake and he was not chosen to continue.

We never heard of Patrick Lake since then ( anyone with any news, please tell me.... ).

We had to wait till Season 4 for Bo Bice and Constantine to come to the picture. Constantine had a unanimpus YES from all 3 judges in the pre-Hollywood phase, while Simon had his doubts about Bo, but let him through anyway.

During the Hollywood auditions, Bo and Connie rocked to the great song -- THE LETTER,and the rest was history.

Come season 5 and now we have a REAL ROCKER with a powerful voice ... Chris Daughtry. Simon said NO in the pre-Hollywood auditions while Randy and Paula, again, insightfully said yes.

It is interesting to note that Simon also said NO to Taylor Hicks (now a favorite to win ) because his objection was he cannot be "commercial".

What are we seeing here ? Let me remind everyone of a phrase that the great economist Joseph Schumpeter used to characterize dynamic capitalism.

Schumpeter characterizes capitalism with the famous phrase "creative destruction" in which old ways of doing things are endogenously destroyed and replaced by the new.

What you are seeing folks, is the business of American Idol RE-INVENTING ITSELF, destroying its old bubble gum pop model to accomodate MORE DIVERSE musical tastes -- ROCK ( Southern and Alternative), SOUL, COUNTRY, catering to the Boomer crowd.

In this sense, I have to say that Simon is the hold-over and Paula and Randy are more far-reaching in their vision for the show. The later two saw where the market was going and promptly decided for CHANGE. Simon, like the Democrats of today who still insist on the old failed Keynesian model, was the major holdover.

Who knows what American Idol would have become had Bo, Constantine, Chris and Taylor not appeared ? My feeling is it would soon DEVOLVE into the same old, same old and lose
viewers.

Will we see more "creative destruction" in season 6 ( e.g., accomodating rap, hip hop and the likes ?). QUE SERA SERA. Let the market decide.

Why did Chris Daughtry, a real favorite among the talking heads and the online futures markets ( AKA Gamblers) reach only as high as the 4th spot ?

I have one additional theory to present other than what was already presented by others....

It can be summarized in the following sentence :

AMERICA CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH ANGER, RAGE AND RESENTMENT.

What do I mean by that ?

Don't get me wrong... Chris is a good guy in his real life. But his rock persona represents --- rage, anger, resentment, depression, rebellion, not conforming, being anti-establishment, Desperation, Suicide, etc.

Just look at the lyrics to the songs he chooses ( when the themes don't prevent him )...Hemmorage, Wanted Dead or Alive, Innuendo, Renegade, I Dare You. It's all varations on the same depressing theme.

Of course we can all emphathize with these songs one way or another, but up to a point, how many of us who watch the show to escape the dreariness of life want to remind ourselves of the depressing fact once again ?

And Chris' fans don't give him a break.... when he switches gears to deliver for us a pleasant change -- WEHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD -- they promptly boycott him, sending him to the bottom 2.

What does Chris' unexpected exit reveal about America ?

I believe, at heart, we are still an optimistic nation that believes in Reagan's Shining City on a Hill. Yes, we know that there is misery in this world, but we believe that we CAN overcome it with our efforts.

Chris' fans are like the Howard Dean wing of the Democrats... they like their man the way they want him to be. The moment he tries to moderate himself, they quickly abandon him.

On the other hand, look at Taylor Hicks... why is he still around ? Simple -- HE GIVES US CAUSE TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT OURSELVES, OUR PAST, OUR FUTURE. He does not take himself or Simon's remarks seriously ( how many times did he just laugh his remarks off ?). Taylor sings about the joys of life, music, love, America... and when he sings about poverty ( IN THE GHETTO, TAKIN' IT TO THE STREETS) and jail ( JAIL HOUSE ROCK), he isn't acting crazy or angry or in your face about it ( the persona that Chris presents ). He simply presents these as facts to be dealt with and sings a song to encourage his fellowman to help ( IN THE GHETTO ).

These are the two contrasting faces of America shown in this show.... I am NOT SURPRISED why the optimistic face is still around and why the pessimistic, depressing face went only so far....

Now, some fun...

We have had over 150 songs sang in this show since the top 24 were presented to us. Here are my top 20 performances, which if I could get a full length CD, I'd like to compile ( inno particula order of preference ) :

1) LEVON -- The coming of age of Taylor Hicks. The performance that caused Simon to change his mind and apologize for being an ass.

2) I'M CHANGING --- Lisa Tucker. Her one wonderful performance that showed her emotion. Simon was right when he said - "If we look back, we will say that this song defined the coming of age of Lisa Tucker"

3) THESE FOOLISH THINGS -- Paris Bennet. Holy Guacamolie ! Did Billie Holiday just reincarnate in another body ? INCREDIBLE AND ELECTRIFYING. One of the best ever on the show.

4) THUNDER ROLLS -- Bucky Covington. I was willing to write Bucky off OUT of the top 12. This performance caused me to reconsider. It Fit him and his persona to a "T".

5) WALK THE LINE --- Chris Daughtry. If you could perform a classic and make me forget the original, that says a lot about your performance ( of course, it caused some controversy as he failed to acknowledge LIVE's arrangement, but what the heck, it was still THAT GOOD !).

6) SINCE I FELL FOR YOU --- Kat Mcphee. The prototypical style that Kat should be thriving in. The song that made me realize that -- not only is she going to the top 10, she'll be going deep into the competition.

7) IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME -- Elliott Yamin. Stevie Wonder has always been a disaster for anyone from season 1 to 4 who dared attempt his songs. Elliott Yamin broke the dreaded curse and made Simon remark ( without hyperbole I might add ) : "You have potentially, one of the best voice we've had in all 5 seasons."

8) SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME -- Kat Mcphee. If you can remind me of the girl, Rowena who sang that longing song in the film --- MR HOLLAND's OPUS, you've come of age.

9) I'M EVERY WOMAN -- Mandissa. Made her an early favorite in the competition. If we only had themes that played to her strengths, we would be seeing her still. Still one of the classiest performers and ladies ever.

10) YOU SEND ME -- Taylor Hicks. Who woulda thought that he could turn this classic into something fresh and new with his own unique SOULFUL ending of the song. A very innovative and surprising arrangement.

11) HEMMORHAGE -- Chris Daughtry. WOW ! This is a defining grunge/al-rock performance. THE SONG THAT MADE *FUEL* TAKE NOTICE AND INSPIRED THEM TO CANCEL ALL AUDITIONS FOR LEAD SINGER AND OFFER HIM THE POSITION. INCREDIBLE !

12) WANTED DEAD OR ALICE -- Chris Daughtry. As good if not better than Bon Jovi himself. 'Nuff said.

13) MOODY's MOOD FOR LOVE -- Elliott Yamin. Still his BEST and MOST MEMORABLE effort ever. I don't know how he can top that. In the finals maybe ....

14) FATHER FIGURE -- Ace Young. First impressions last. This performance might have given him 5 more weeks of survival, causing people to forget many of his weak performances from then on. He raised the bar for himself on this one and never reached it again.

15) IT HAD TO BE YOU --- Eliott Yamin. Better than Michael Buble, Better than Harry Connick. Should be on his next CD.

16) A SONG FOR YOU -- Elliott Yamin. So moved Judge Paula to tears and incoherence that she might have been prophetic when she babbled : "You are the American Idol !!".

17) FEVER -- Paris Bennett : One of her performances that truly deserved the UNANIMOUS rave reviews by the judges. She is Peggy Lee personified at this tender age.

18) TAKIN' IT TO THE STREETS -- Taylor Hicks : Must be SEEN to be appreciated. Sounded like the reincarnation of Michael Mcdonald and garnered one of the longest non-stop applause ever im American Idol history. The producers were so scared that the applause wouldn't die down and the judges could not get a word in.

19) IN THE GHETTO -- Taylor Hicks : If you could sing an Elvis classic and actually make me FORGET Elvis sang it, you've owned the song. Randy is right, Taylor should record this and dish the AI arrangement and replace it with a simple acoustic, un-plugged version. This is a hit waiting to happen.

20)TEACH ME TONIGHT -- Elliott Yamin. One word -- FANTASTIC. The phrasing, the delivery, the jazzy feel. Heck, who woulda thought Mr. Tumnus would encourage me to make love to my wife after the show ?

Tally of top 20 great performances :

Elliott Yamin 5
Taylor Hicks 4
Chris Daugtry 3
Kat Mcphee 2
Paris Bennett 2
Bucky Covington 1
Lisa Tucker 1
Mandissa 1
Ace Young 1

CONFIRMED :

Simon Cowell Chose Judy Garland's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"
for Katharine Mcphee.

Randy Jackson chose "You are so Beautiful" by Joe Cocker for Taylor Hicks

Paula Abdul chose "What You Won't Do For Love" by Bobby Caldwell for Elliott Yamin

STRONG INDICATOR -- Taylor will choose to sing TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS for his second song ( the song he should have sang but was not allowed to in Classic Love Song Night).

RUMORED SPOILERS DEBUNKED

This is from MJs BIG BLOG ( a good source for song spoilers and spoiler debunking )....

Katharine McPhee's Clive Davis song choice is NOT "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack. Also, her personal song choice is NOT "Man I Feel Like a Woman" by Shania Twain.

I'm hearing that Taylor Hicks's Clive Davis song choice is NOT "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohen.

Poor Kat Mcphee is the only remaining Idol contestant who is considered too small time to merit the State Governor's attention.

That's what you get for living just a few miles from Hollywood....

http://www.realitytvmagazine.com/blog/2006/05/american_idol_d_1.html

Schwarzenegger Snub Katharine McPhee?

In Alabama, the Governor loves American Idol finalist Taylor Hicks. In Virginia, the Governor loves American Idol finalist Elliott Yamin. But out in California, maybe the Governor was a closet Chris Daughtry fan. When Taylor Hicks and Elliott Yamin returned to their home states they each scored a personal meeting with the Governor of their states. However, we haven’t been able to uncover any media reports that Katharine McPhee had any type of meeting with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Of course, things are really busy out in California, so maybe the Governor simply didn’t have time to meet with his home state American Idol finalist. Then again, California is the heart of the entertainment industry and Schwarzenegger is a former actor. It looks like he of all people would have known the importance of meeting with and showing support for a contestant from his home state that’s on the most popular show on television.

In Alabama, the Press-Register reports that Governor Bob Riley met with Taylor Hicks and encouraged all citizens to watch American Idol and vote for Taylor Hicks. The governor also issued a proclamation making Tuesday, when Hicks next performs, Taylor Hicks Day in Alabama.

In Virginia, the Daily Press reports that Governor Timothy M. Kaine met with Elliott Yamin and presented him with a certificate of recognition. Governor Kaine also had some gifts for Elliott, consisting of a two t-shirts: one read “Virginia is for Elliott Lovers” and the other read “Virginia is for Simon Lovers.” The Simon Lovers t-shirt was intended for Elliott to use to butter up Mr. Cowell. The article didn’t mention if the t-shirt was black and about two sizes too small, like Simon likes them.

In California, the LA Daily News reports that Katharine McPhee was greeted by the VP of her old high school, the Mayor, and a councilwoman. However, there is no mention of a meeting with the Governor. Some fans have pointed out that maybe there wasn’t time to travel all the way to the Governor’s office in Sacramento, which seems like an unusual explanation since Taylor Hicks and Elliott Yamin were flown to the other side of the country for their hometown visits.

In addition to the Gubernatorial snub, Katharine McPhee also seemed to come up a little short in reports on her hometown celebration. Taylor Hicks got a parade, and Elliott Yamin got a baseball stadium full of people, while Katharine McPhee appeared at her old high school gymnasium. Of course, the lack of hoopla surrounding Katharine McPhee’s visit home could serve to get McPhee fans even more riled up, and the last time McPhee fans got riled up, Chris Daughtry went home. Elliott Yamin and Taylor Hicks have already gotten their hero’s welcome, the only way Katharine McPhee might get hers is if she wins the whole thing.

I still find the look of the judges after Ryan announced Chris’ departure to be unforgettable.

We can ignore Paula’s tears and harried look, that is a given. She did that when Constantine got the boot last season.

But Simon’s speechless reaction was priceless. He twiddled his fingers around his chin as if saying to himself — NOW WHAT DO I DO ?

You see, Carrie Underwood was VERY EASY to sell last season. She had a good voice, was pretty and was Southern. For Simon, it was a simple matter of pointing her towards Nashville and the promotion problem is 2/3 done.

This year, Chris Daughtry could have been easy to sell to the CREED, LIVE, FUEL Alt-Rock/Grunge Crowd, which would make the effort less of a burden. After all, there are a lot of them out there.

What was going on in Simon’s mind that night I surmise is this — HE IS ASKING HIMSELF, HOW AM I GOING TO PROMOTE THESE 3 PEOPLE LEFT ?

Kat Mcphee ? She’s a Cabaret/Theater/Broadway type of singer. Who is going to buy her ?

Elliott Yamin ? Good gosh, how am I going to sell the kid with his Mr. Tumnus look and bad teeth ? The Justin Timberlake crowd aren't going to buy him. How I wish Ace Young had the voice of Elliott Yamin….

And of course, his ultimate nightmare — Taylor Hicks. The guy with SOUL who is a blast from the past ( what Simon still overlooks is he’s already got a market right there staring him in the face. His main problem is — he’s still blind to its existence ).

Well Simon, YOU GOT YOUR WORK CUT OUT FOR YOU. You make $36 Million a year, now show us you deserve it.

ONLY FOR TAYLOR HICKS FANS...

http://www.foxesonidol.com/cgi-bin/ae.pl?mode=1&article=article1901.art&page=1

IDOL THOUGHTS, MAY 16 : WH Y TAYLOR MUST WIN !

by Donna Reynolds -- 05/16/2006

Donna’s been obsessed with Taylor Hicks since she first laid eyes on him, and her conviction has never wavered. While it seemed unlikely early on that a gray-headed 29-year-old rock ‘n blues singer could ever win American Idol, Taylor is one step away from making the finale. Donna has been waiting a long time to write this article, and is finally ready to let it all hang out!

I started thinking about this article two weeks ago. I mulled over various approaches and titles, and considered several different angles. I tried writing it objectively and went at it from a purely emotional angle. Nothing seemed to be working. Then I watched the videos from Taylor’s trip back home to Birmingham. There he was on the stage at the Hoover Galleria, playing his harp, dancing feverishly, and “feelin’ all right” in front of 12,000 fans. It was then that it hit me. Not only should Taylor Hicks win American Idol, he must win it.

Strong words, you say? Maybe, but consider what we’ve got here. Taylor Hicks is the most unlikely Idol contestant in the history of the show. He fits no musical mold and is so far out of the mainstream of pop music that could be a genre unto himself. The music that he loves is from an entirely different era and yet it fits him so perfectly that it could have been written for him. To call him unique is an understatement.
Click Here!

What makes Taylor so special is the excitement that he generates. Taylor draws people to him and brings the audience right into his world. You never really know what he’s going to do, but when he’s finished, you feel as though you’ve gotten your money’s worth. That’s the difference between a performer and an entertainer, and is one of the reasons that Taylor has been so successful so far. Of all the previous seasons’ contestants, only a handful have been able to do this. Clay pulled people in with his emotion, vulnerability, and crystal clean vocals. Fantasia was a natural entertainer and let everything out on stage. Bo had fun and loved performing so much that people loved watching him. I think Taylor is in the same league.

Some say that Taylor is not the best vocalist, and he has been criticized for his onstage antics. Personally, I think Taylor is very much aware of the impact that he has and chooses his songs for maximum effect. He had to know that a song like “Play That Funky Music” was going to get people up on their feet and really invigorate his fans. That was brilliant. “Jailhouse Rock” rocked. Period. And, coupled with “In the Ghetto,” Taylor was able to show both sides of his personality and let his vocals do the talking. He knows what his fans want and plays right to them. He performs, they vote, and so far, it’s working.

Taylor’s greatest joy in life comes from performing. People who saw him before Idol tell me that he put just as much energy and effort into his club and party gigs as he does on the show. Music is his life, and it doesn’t matter whether he is performing for 30 people or 30 million. It’s what he does, who he is, and where he wants to be.

One of the things that is sorely lacking in today’s pop music is that breathless feeling of exhilaration we had watching the great ones from the past. You know what I mean. There are certain artists and bands that never failed to thrill their audiences and left people literally breathless. Frank Sinatra caused teenage hearts to flutter in the 1940s, Elvis drove fans wild in the 1950s, and the Beatles created mass hysteria in the 1960s. In the years that have passed, there really hasn’t been one single artist or band that has caused such hysteria, at least not that I have witnessed. That is, not until American Idol came along.

If you doubt that, consider the whole Clay Aiken phenomena. Need I say more? The noise for Clay started early in the season, and by the time the finale came around, it was positively deafening. It continued through the Idol tour, the release of his CDs, and his numerous sold-out tours and shows. They screamed, they fainted, and they swooned. It was remarkable. Clay Aiken became the star of season 2 and he didn’t even win. Looking back, it is still astonishing. For whatever reason, Simon didn’t see or didn’t want to see what was so potently obvious even then. Despite the fact that he didn’t fit into a neat little box, Clay had something special that drew people to him and his music. I don’t think Simon’s ever forgiven him!

Fast forward three years. Simon is faced with another contestant who he doesn’t “get” and hasn’t from the start. He has no idea what he would do with Taylor if he were to win, and I think he’s been in denial that this is even a possibility. He’s been rude and dismissive of Taylor, and even his compliments have been begrudging. But every week, Taylor has been building momentum and he is insanely popular. Simon may not want to see it, but Taylor is steamrollering his way through this competition, and may turn out to be the most popular contestant ever to appear on this show.

I’ve written a lot about why Taylor deserves to win, but haven’t addressed the premise of this article, which is my contention that Taylor must win. Certainly, there’s a big difference. I don’t think anyone will argue the fact that Taylor is wildly popular and has generated a huge buzz around Idol this season. Because of that fact alone, I am convinced that his not winning will have a negative impact on the future success of the show. I think people can only handle so much disappointment before they decide that they can’t take any more! Sure, new people will join the fold, but for people like me who have been disappointed year after year, there comes a point when you just don’t want to go through it again. I’ve never been one of those people who has said “I will never watch again,” but I’m telling you, if Taylor loses, I am going to have a real hard time investing four months of my life in another season.

His winning will ease the pain of all those people whose favorites have not won in the past, and will ensure that a lot of them will indeed return. It will also send a message to Simon Cowell that, although he may be the big-shot record producer, this is our decision, not his. Taylor’s winning will also put an end to all those conspiracy theorists who continue to believe that “they” choose the winner early on, and the entire process is manipulated to ensure that outcome. Taylor was not supposed to win, after all!

Taylor deserves to make the finals. But I also know that anything is possible this week, and unfortunately, no matter how well he does, it all comes down to how skillful his fans are at power-voting. This makes me sick, but it’s the reality of this show. If you are reading this, and you believe as I do that Taylor must win, you have to vote. No excuses. If he is eliminated, it will be our fault, not his. And I don’t want to be responsible for that!

Kat! Kat ! Kat!

Kat! Kat ! Kat! Chills........ She has won the night!!!

QUICK IMPRESSIONS ....

Elliot

"Open Arms" - Not great, but not bad. Did he transpose the last two lines of the chorus? He sounded a little flat in parts, but the vibrato was mostly kept in check. Sorry, this song did not make me forget Steve Perry and Clay Aiken still owns this song.

"What You Won't Do For Love" - Very comfortable and smooth, right in his wheelhouse. I didn't notice the sharpness that Randy did. I think the song could have ended stronger, but overall a very solid performance.

"I Believe To My Soul" - Kind of got drowned out by Bandzilla again, ugh. Otherwise, a nice vocal, no vibrato issues. I agree that he probably should have chosen a more accessible song to end with.

Overall, I don't think E fully "let go" and he didn't quite hit any of his songs out of the park. However, his voice was smooth and well-controlled in all three performances.

Would I love to have Elliott's CD on my car for a long drive ? With the right songs, ABSOLUTELY. Will I want to pay to watch him on stage ? That's another matter altogether.

Katharine

"I Believe I Can Fly" - I liked the intent of changing up the arrangement, but it ended up being a little overdone. She didn't really get shrill, but there were too many runs and melismas thrown in for no real reason ( I said that before -- less is better. But she isn't listening ).

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" - Gorgeous. Loved it. There were a couple spots where I thought she might go off the melody too much again but she held back just enough and stayed in control. Her tone and expression were lovely. Definitely a "moment" for her.

"I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues" - Fun number, but not a fantastic vocal. At least she looked like she enjoyed it.

Kind of a microcosm of Kat's entire AI run... moments of brilliance alternated with some pronounced stumbles.
Luckily, I think the brilliance outweighed the stumbles tonight.

Would I love to have Kat's CD on my car for a long drive ? With the right songs, ABSOLUTELY. Will I want to pay to watch her on stage ?

Why should I ? I have her pictures right here in FR. I am very content staring at them and imagining.... :)

Taylor

"Dancing In the Dark" - Classic Taylor. Lots of fun, entertaining presentation, solid if not spectacular vocal. You just knew he was going to pull Paula up onto the bridge to do the Courteney Cox dance. Heh.

"You Are So Beautiful" - I wasn't quite as impressed as the judges were, but it was very good. What else can you do with a simple and short song as this ?

"Try A Little Tenderness" - Well I can see why he was picked to end the show on a high note. He did get a little out of control at the end, but he pretty much delivered. But then Otis Redding went out of control with his version too...

Would I love to have Taylor's CD on my car for a long drive ? I already have Under the Radar. NEXT QUESTION....

Will I want to pay to watch him on stage ? Heck YES, where do I pay ???

Taylor clearly has the biggest presence of the three. If he doesn't make it to next week I'll be shocked.

I love Elliot but I don't think he did enough to overcome Kat's amazing "SOTR" performance, so I imagine he's out and we'll have Kat and Taylor as the final two.

OK WE'VE DISCUSSED YESTERDAY's SHOW LONG ENOUGH.

LET's LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT TUESDAY. I’d like to hear some discussion of song choices ( as if they have any choice at all ).

In the past, this has USUALLY been the theme for the FINALS :

* One new song by the contestant ( usually written for them by Dianne Warren. Carrie sang ANGELS BROUGHT ME HERE , Bo sang something like the LONG ROAD HOME )

* The cheesy winner’s single by both ( again written for them by Diane Warren. Both Bo and Carrie recorded this eventually — INSIDE YOUR HEAVEN ).

* One song previously done this season/will also be on single ( Bo sang VEHICLE, Carrie sang INDEPENDENCE DAY ).

This is the night that worries me as a Taylor fan inspite of some Soul Patrolers saying Taylor can sing the phone book and it will sound great.

This is also the dreaded night which has been debated from the very beginning ( regarding whether or not it would be best for Taylor to reach the finals) because IT HAS ARRIVED.

Yes, the FINGERNAILS-ON-THE-CHALKBOARD MOMENT is upon us when Taylor has to sing a beauty pageant song !!

Question --- why does it have to be a song they have done previously on the show ? Why can't it be something NOT done previously ?

Why Does Taylor not get to sing GEORGIA ?

USA TODAY's INTERVIEW WITH KAT AND TAYLOR.

INTERESTINGLY, KAT ANSWERS THE REMARKS OF HER CRITICS (INCLUDING AMONG OTHERS, HER REACTION TO ELLIOTT's DEPARTURE )

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-05-19-kat-taylor-interview_x.htm

Katharine and Taylor speak up

Updated 5/19/2006 4:43 PM ET
Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks will vie for the Idol title next week on Fox.

By Ann Oldenburg, USA TODAY
"It's anybody's game," says Katharine McPhee, who will vie for the next American Idol crown next week.

She and Taylor Hicks gave phone press conferences Friday to talk about the finale of Fox's hit reality TV show. The two singers will go head-to-head on Tuesday, May 23 (8:00-9:00 p.m. live ET/tape-delayed PT). "This finale is going to be awesome," promises Hicks.

Each contestant will perform three songs and there will be a special performance of Bad Day by Daniel Powter. A winner will be named Wednesday (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed). On that show, Carrie Underwood, the reigning American Idol, will return to perform her hit single Don't Forget to Remember Me.

In their press conferences, the two finalists shed a little light on their feelings about their upcoming showdown, and spill a few secrets about themselves, too.

Highlights from Kat's press conference

•On the songs for the finale

"The cool thing is that this week we get to sing songs we've already sung on the show. I'm going to pick songs I can sing with full confidence, knowing the judges liked them in the past, just picking songs I know I can do well and the audience liked. At this point, I feel so much freer. It is still a competition, but we both have won, we both have record deals now. I just feel so grateful at this point that anything that happens, I don't think I'm going to take any steps backwards at this point."

•She was a big hit when she sang Over the Rainbow

"I think it's probably my favorite song that I've sung on the show now."

•The week that Chris Daughtry went home was not her best week

"Being able to go to Graceland was so fun, but I had a feeling, when I found out it was Elvis week, I thought oh jeez, I'm the only girl … and the judges had been hard on me. I felt a little defeated that week, in terms of my performances. I felt I couldn't get it right. .. I just thought I was going home. I was preparing myself. " And when Daughtry was announced: "It kind of made me feel pretty (expletive), to be honest. Then the next week, I fired back and I'm still here."

•As for the idea that she is too confident

"I think that's ridiculous to say — too confident? People don't realize that what they see on TV is all they see. I have never once gone, 'Oh, I'm going to win this thing.' I think the fact that I have not is why I'm still here. I think the people who get too confident, their fans don't vote as much… The judges have been really hard on me the last couple of weeks. ... It's anybody's game and I've always thought that from the beginning."

•Does it really matter if she wins?

"I've had a few people ask me that. Of course, you want to win. Definitely, I'd love to win. I think it depends on the person. Look at Clay Aiken. He's done really well for himself and he didn't win. I don't know if it really matters. When you're in the top two…. Taylor and I looked at each other and said, 'Oh my God it doesn't matter.'… I'm going to be obviously ecstatic if I win, but I will have nothing to complain about if I don't."

•Her lucky charm for the finale?

"I don't have any gimmicks. I don't have any silly things that I say. I guess I'm going to have a really hot dress and a nice pair of shoes and go out there and look fabulous and try to sing my best. Try to be as modest as I can possibly be."

•What does she say to people who thought she looked excited when Elliott Yamin was voted off this week, sending her to the finales?

"I didn't hear about that. But I figured that might be the case. It's an awkward thing. You're excited and in the top two, but someone's going home… It's a ridiculous notion to me that you can't be excited to be in the top two…I made it through! And it was such a close margin. And I apologize for looking happy, I guess."

•She has no secret method for relaxing before a show

"The rehearsal process — if I have a good rehearsal, I feel more confident. I'll be excited and nervous but usually being excited helps me stay calm."

•She missed Simon Cowell's praise of her Over the Rainbow rendition

"I didn't even totally hear what he said." Her father had to tell her. "You take it with a grain of salt… You're only as good as your last performance and then you have to focus on the next goal."

•Taylor is more relaxed on stage

"I think Taylor is really free on stage. If I get nervous, I clench up and I'm not as free and spontaneous, but I think that's something that Taylor's really good about doing. But we're both so different, it's going to depend on what America wants."

•What kind of album she'd like to make

"I was just having a meeting about that this morning. I've gotten (the best) response from people when I do simple melody kinds of things. I definitely want to put out a pop kind of album, have some bluesy sound to it, some soulful sounds. Like Joss Stone. And I love Norah Jones. I think it could be jazzy but also bluesy and contemporary, something that could be in the top 40."

•She would love to be in movies

"I would love to do film. Before American Idol, that's kind of what I was pursuing. I had an agent and I was going out for television and film every day like every other actress. Now it's cool but I have doors open — I'm hoping that doors will open for me. I took acting very seriously. I was going to school for theater, majoring in musical theater in college so obviously Broadway would be something I'd like to put on my resume some day."

And she says she "love to have" a career like Kelly Clarkson's.

•There's no time to worry about reviews

"I don't really look at anything… On American Idol, they keep us so busy that I don't really have time. I don't watch Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood because I don't have time. And that's a good thing. The minute you start believing your own press is the minute you get in trouble… And it makes you a little cuckoo, too."

•Do voters care about the judges comments?

"I think that they do. They obviously listen to what the judges have to say. But I think there comes a point when America doesn't listen to them as much. I think a lot of times, especially if you have a strong fan base, when the judges bash you, they vote more. American Idol is a total game. It's like a big game. Most of the time, I pretty much agree with the judges."

•How does she stay healthy?

"Toward the beginning we were always taking Airborne and all our vitamins. There was a point where the day after shows, my voice would be so tired and I'd have to go on vocal rest. But I think the adrenaline kicks in and your body gets used to that pattern of go-go-go. I did, this last week, lose my voice over the weekend. I came back with a full recovery and rested. It's all about pacing yourself and knowing when to shut up, and going to bed to get sleep when you can. You really have to put your talent first."

•What will she sing this week?

"I'm not allowed to say what I'm doing."

• Before Idol, she was trying to break into the business. She went to Boston Conservatory for about a year, but left because she met a manager who wanted her to try out for parts during the television pilot season in Los Angeles. She did a pilot and an independent film.

"If I had stayed I would have graduated last Saturday and look at what I would have missed."

•How does she stay in shape?

While her favorite past time is dance class, she says, "I haven't worked out in four months. I feel like I'm a big blob. I don't have any muscle in my body. I've definitely not been dieting. I'm an anti-dieter. I don't think it works. I've totally struggled with body weight. I was up and down with my weight. I'd get good feedback from bookers — we'd love to book her, but… it's a shame you have to be so skinny and so in shape. I met a dietitian before American Idol and she just taught me to eat normally and have peace with food. Now I just don't have any kind of emotional eating anymore. I still have weight on me. I'm still not what Hollywood wants — stick skinny. But I'm happy with food and able to eat and that's what women should be able to do — eat food and I don't think twice about it. After American Idol, I'd love to have a trainer who gets me to the gym two or three times a week because I surely don't do it on my own."

•What made you decide to try out for the show?

"It was like a phenomeonon. It was weird. I was in this pop-rock musical. I was in one, and went to another. While I was in these musicals I was auditioning for TV and film. … I was like an ensemble singer, doing back up and stuff. And people were saying, 'You should try out for American Idol'. So many people were telling me I should audition for American Idol that I auditioned for American Idol."

•She was confident about it

"I thought I can do this. I can make top 12. I can do this. I imagined it, but you don't really know that it can happen."

•The pressure gets to her at times

"In rehearsals, I'm a nervous wreck. …I have definitely crumbled over pressure. I've gone behind closed doors and cried. There were weeks when I would call my closest friend and I would cry, I just don't think I can do this any more. I would totally crumble. But the important thing is the show has to go on and you have to look like you have it all together. I definitely don't have it all together… If you feel good about yourself and what you do, it doesn't matter what people say."

•Favorite nosh foods?

"Hmm, let's see. I don't know. … Chips can always make me feel really good. Bagels and cream cheese. I'm not a sweet person as much as I used to be. Sweets used to control my life — Oh my God, a piece of cake. .. I definitely like chips."

•The schedule between now and Tuesday?

"I don't even really know the schedule. I thought it was going to be way more crazy.

Today, doing phone interviews and I had a meeting with a management company. … I think just rehearsals and stuff and Taylor and I have to go do a Ford commercial on Sunday — oh, Taylor just gave me a kiss. The schedule is different. This week it's a little different. It's kind of fun. You can sense that it's almost over. The schedule is definitely changing."

Highlights from Taylor's press conference

Taylor Hicks talks about his love of the road and his life before Idol. He was in New Orleans the night before Hurricane Katrina hit and wound up evacuating before the storm with a ticket to Las Vegas, not home to Birmingham, Ala. That's where he auditioned for Idol.

•What happened to his harmonica?

"It's a singing competition. That's what I was told. It's a singing compeition. … I love to play guitar and harmonica. I'm going to aactually be able to play some guitar and harmonica when the contest is over. There might be a harmonica solo or two in the finale."

•Can he describe his dancing?

"Connecting with the lyrics and melody of the music. Connecting with the lyrics and really feeling. Each song you want to try to live the song as much as possible. Doing that, if you really get into a song people will be able to feel what you're talking about."

•What are his opponent's strengths?

"She has amazing vocal runs. She's had some great moments on the show. It's so cool to see somebody that talented with that amazing vocal talent. I'm a fan."

•Can he be marketed for mainstream fans?

"I'm a musician and I'm going to be a musician and soul singer for the rest of my life. In this business, I've been denied many times. That's something that has interested me. Mainstream music is an interesting beast. If I play a part of that in the next year or so, fine. But somebody will be seeing me be funky somewhere."

•The race is tight

"It's going to be a very close race to the finish line. We'll just have to see what happens."

•Craziest proposition from a female fan?

"I got a couple of pictures, I think they were sisters and they had Soul Patrol and my picture tattooed on their necks. Those might be my two biggest soul patrollers."

•What is his dream woman like?

"Funny! Entertaining. Um, obviously easy on the eyes and can cook turnip greens."

•He used to be a lean basketball player in high school. Now?

"The diet in the South is completely different from the diet in California. Being out here and being in this competition and being in this process, has allowed me to be more health conscious. I plan on keep shedding the pounds and looking leaner and meaner. I don't know if I can get to my high school basketball weight, but we'll see what happens."

•Before Idol, how often was he performing?

"Eight nights a week. You have to really love music. I think I've been dancing and singing ever since I was 3. I caught the bug when I was 12. At 17 or 18 I had some wings I got to spread and I just started playing guitar. It's an affection for the music.

I would play high school baskeball and then sneak into local clubs to play harmonica."

•A good luck charm?

"My harmonica is a good luck charm. Sometimes when I'm moving around on stage a lot I don't have it with me because it hurts in my pocket. But yeah, I keep it around. Before American Idol I was playing a lot of music and it's kind of my instrument of choice. "

•You seem laidback. Are you really?

"I do have a laidback nature, but you have to be a go-getter in this business. You can't let opportunities pass you by and if they don't come to you, you have to go to them. That's my mindset as far as being an entertainer is concerned."

•What is he looking forward to most about the tour?

"The bus."

Having a tour bus was something he dreamed of as he traveled around playing clubs before Idol. After his run with Idol is over, he plans to continue pursuing that dream.

"I'll probably live on my tour bus… I might have some little lake place somewhere where I can sit on a porch and stare at some trees and water. But as far as what I've always wanted to do — is be on a bus. My home has been the road, even before American Idol. My Birmingham apartment has been there, but I've been only there for a few days and I'm on the road. A tour bus with some good cold iceberg lettuce, that's where I'll stay."

•Was his family surprised that he tried out for the show?

"When I told my dad I'm trying out for American Idol, he said, 'Why don't you just go buy a lottery ticket?'"

•What is the Soul Patrol?

"I just believe in the soul of music. It could be rap, hip hop, it could be anything. As long as it can translate a feeling — that's kind of where I come from in music. The Soul Patrol has got so many different meanings and yet it's just an idea of having more soul and depth."

It's also the name of his fans.

"They're a great bunch of fans. It just kind of fit from the beginning. There are so many things I'm looking forward to doing post-American Idol tour. I've got some really cool ideas for the Soul Patrol and the theme of Soul Patrol when I tour."

•What will his album be like?

"It's just going to have to be a really good representation of who I am as an arist. There's going to be something I've never been able to do creatively, before American Idol, and possibly a little bit cutting edge. There are some things in my mind I think would be cutting-edge music. I'm about creating a good piece of artwork."

•What can he say about the finale?

"This finale is going to be awesome. There are so many things that are going to happen with me that I just can't share with you. I wish I could. There are going to be so many moments with me and Katharine. It's going to be a unique finale."

•And his advice to contestants next season?

"Sleep a lot. You're going to need it."

http://www.graycharles.com/index.php/2006/05/20/saturday-open-discussion-double-d-starts-us-off/#more-347

The Tipping Point of Taylor

In Malcolm Gladwell’s book, The Tipping Point, he explains the concept as a “social epidemic” – ideas, behavior and messages that behave as an infectious disease. If you are not familiar with The Tipping Point concept, here’s a link that gives you the abridged version.

The Tipping Point Synopsis

There are many good references here and I believe many of us here are Mavens and Salespeople, with a few like Gray Charles, Wade and James Hudnall being Connectors, who are spreading the epidemic of Taylor.

Gladwell says that once you begin to grasp the concept of The Tipping Point, you begin to see the pattern everywhere. The Tipping Point is really the boiling point of an idea or situation that suddenly goes “over the edge” and then spreads like wildfire. Some provide very lasting and real change. Many marketers are utilizing this premise to market products but the main application I’m talking about here is our little world of American Idol and Taylor Hicks. There are various levels of tipping points, so you’ll begin to get the picture…

First, Taylor, on the whole. I guess you can start with the audition but for some it goes back to the Southeastern bar scene. Then momentum built throughout Hollywood week and into the top 24. First tipping point came at this point. People, albeit a relatively small few, took notice that the boy had some serious, original talent. Mavens began to research and the Connectors started to spread the word…..Salespeople began talking up Taylor….and so it begins. The Soul Patrol starts to roll. Taylor brings a relatively simple idea of back to basic, love of music (no matter what the genre) to a group hungry for a change. Wildfire. People like Gray Charles take that and “connect” others. People start providing songs, ideas, information found in various sources (mavens) and others take this information and begin talking to their groups of friends on the merit of Taylor and his ability to change the music scene (salespeople).

This plays into individual and cumulative performances as well. To me, Taylor’s AI journey experienced its Tipping Point with the Play That Funky Music performance. Although there were moments of brilliance before that (Levon, TI2TS, Trouble, Send Me), there had also been some rough spots (Take Me Home, Not Fade Away, Easy). There were embers smoldering but the fire had been limited still to the core group. Then, the song controversy of Just Once/TALT. At this point, the crescendo started. Taylor then made a very bold and risky decision…”gonna be me, gonna keep it real”. IMO, one of the greatest moments a person could have…the chance to be true to yourself and “stick it to the man” for, and in front of, 30 million people. Paisley shirt, blue-suede shoes, funky dancin’ and laying all over the AI logo ON THE FLOOR!!! LADIES & GENTLEMEN - “THE BOOGIE”. That’s the night Taylor took possession of AI – his Tipping Point. That short 3 minutes may have defined the music industry for a while. From this gigantic “flip off” moment, the epidemic has grown exponentially and continues. Many, many people could so identify with the situation and Taylor did what most of us can only dream of…he didn’t compromise even though the stakes were extremely high. I was a Taylor junkie before, but I became a disciple that night. I’ve totally enjoyed the ride and looking forward to more Tipping Points to come.

HERE IS LAST FRIDAY's VIDEO OF THE INTERVIEW BETWEEN TAYLOR HICKS AND THE AMERICAN IDOL PRODUCERS :

http://mfile.akamai.com/12955/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2006/0518/9238899.300k.asx

HEADS UP

Dial Idol has upgraded to include 3 lines for each Idol this week!

http://dialidol.com/asp/predictions/Predictions.asp

HERE IS AN ARTICLE LISTING WHAT FOR THE AUTHOR, ARE THE 15 TOP VOCALISTS OF ALL TIME IN THE SHOW, AMERICAN IDOL.

IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT INSPITE OF THE FACT THAT MANY PEOPLE CLAIM THAT THIS YEAR's BATCH IS THE STRONGEST GROUP OF PERFORMERS EVER, ONLY ELLIOTT MADE IT TO THE TOP 15.

Neither TAYLOR, KAT nor CHRIS IMPRESSED THE AUTHOR AT ALL.

COMMENTS/DISAGREEMENTS WELCOME

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American Idol: R45S: Best AI Vocalists of ALL Time: The Fifteen

Posted by: Jlynn206 on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 10:16 AM PST

After careful consideration of range, pitch, tone/quality, technique, and creativity; I have come up with the list to end all lists. The best vocalists this show has seen over the past five seasons! See if you agree!

By Jlynn206

I have had a rough week. My usual readers will know why, for anyone new, let’s just say my man is gone! I also lost some of my favorite students ever to cheaper schools and far away countries. Oh the sadness…oh the despair. Yeah, it pretty much sucked. I hadn’t been inspired to write anything, and was even having trouble listening to E’s performances, because I would just get too sad. But now I’m back, and I’m here to let you know, who can really, really sing!

It is important to look at the criteria of what it takes to make this list, before you send me angry emails because your favorite is not on it. We have had many a great singer on this show, however, here we are looking for WAY more than just a great singer. We aren’t just looking for you to be able to belt higher than the high E, though that does come into play, we are looking for a combination of the best range, tone, technique, and creativity that made your voice memorable and consistent. Consistency is very important here, as while doing my research, if you have a few truly AWFUL performances, than that bumps you off. Again, there are enough people who never had a truly awful performance, that we just don’t got the space man….

*also important. If you sing incorrectly, I mean just entirely incorrectly, this may be the reason you are not on the list, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a great recording voice, just means you can’t be considered a vocalist, if you will….

Let’s give some quick definitions:

RANGE: How many notes a singer can sing well, from way down low, to way up high. A belting range would just consider the notes a singer sings loudly up high in their chest voice, as apposed to their head voice or falsetto. Think singing with a more breathy quality. Email me if none of that made sense and I’ll give you specifics.

TONE/QUALITY: This would be almost the essence of a singer’s voice. It can be worked on, especially if you are nasal or too throaty, that’s placement problems, but for the most part, this is what God gave ya. Think of Ruben’s silky smooth tone, Elliott’s more rough, bluesy quality, or Clay’s piercing (in a good way), sometimes twangy tonality.

TECHNIQUE: There are a lot of variables in executing some great singing. You don’t have to be trained by a professional to have good technique, though some people can’t get there alone. Many are born with the innate ability to hear things with severely awesome musicality, and many learn from the music they listen to and can get quite far from seeing what they can do with their voice in comparison. Think of when singers do runs, and when they sound good or bad. Think of when a singer gets out of breath, to when they hold out soaring notes with ease, or keep it together during up-tempo numbers. Also, consider the variety in a singer’s vocal performances, can they float through different genres with ease, or do you worry for them?

CREATIVITY: Think Kelly Clarkson jumping two octaves to hit that incredibly high note in the middle of “Natural Woman.” Then think of Bucky or Nikki and how their main focus was just on hitting the notes, not seeing what exciting, inventive jump they could do. Song choice can even be considered here. Do they make the song their own? Do they try and copy the original note for note and run for run? Do they change up the tempo or the feel to the song?

I hope that helped and I would be happy to try and explain things better for you, as I don’t know how good of a job I did. But, if a favorite of yours is left of the list, please go back and reread, or email me asking why before biting my head off. I promise, I’ve got a good reason for their absence, and I probably like them too! I worked hard on this list and reevaluated many a past performance. A few of my favorites aren’t anywhere to be seen, and some that I don’t like at all…well they are on this list….

THE BEST AMERICAN IDOL VOCALISTS OF ALL TIME:

15. JENNIFER HUDSON:

Stand Out Performances: “Circle of Life” and “Weekend in New England”

It may be surprising that Jennifer is so low on this list, but beat out people higher than her for “Dream Girls.” Well, we’re just considering the show here, and while Jennifer has a delectable range and a magic tone, at the time she just wasn’t showcasing her technique and creativity to the maximum. Her vocal performances blended together for me. Anyway, that’s why she’s not higher, however, the girl can sing. She’s got this powerful, almost melodramatic gospel sound, which perfectly describes another Jennifer, Jennifer Holliday, who originally played Effie in said “Dream Girls.” I prefer Jennifer, to Mandisa’s similar sound, as Jennifer’s sound is richer and she also doesn’t have the vocal problems in her lower range.

14. VONZELL SOLOMAN:

Stand Out Performances: “Treat me Nice,” “When You Tell me That You Love Me,” “Let’s Hear it For the Boys,” and “On the Radio”

For barely making the list, Vonzell had a few more I could have mentioned. Like the time she belted the jump in “How Do I Live Without You,” which LeeAnn herself could not have done. Vonzell could have placed higher, but she is really one of the most inconsistent people on the list, though she never had an awful performance. Her vocal tenacity survived decent performances of “If I Aint Got You” and “Respect.” She has this fresh and edgy sound to her high belting, that kept me listening the whole season. Her runs were usually dead on and her breath control was impeccable, as she did many fast songs with ease and could whip out a held note. I think a bit more time spent on not letting nerves effect her technique, and she will soar.

13. RICKEY SMITH:

Stand Out Performances: “The Way You Make Me Feel” (Hollywood rounds), “One Last Cry,” and “Endless Love.”

Call me crazy if you want, but this kid can sing and consistently. “Let’s Groove” being close to bad, but not awful, could have kept him off here, but to me he would have out sang Ruben in the end, but he didn’t get the chance to get that far. (because of an obnoxious one time weird carry over a week vote, that some fans didn’t worry about.) He can high belt and connect to his falsetto with unusual ease and actually sang Brian and Lionel without looking like an idiot, sorry Kevin Covais. Creativity is what keeps him from moving any higher, and the fact that we just didn’t get to hear him sing that much.

12. TRENYCE:
Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Let’s Stay Together”

Stand Out Performances: “Come See About Me,” “I Have Nothing,” and “Proud Mary”

I was not a huge fan of her throaty quality, but she really held her own and was quite consistent. She nailed her runs, and her unique tone helped make all songs sound her own. She had great range and breath control, and was probably the best “I Have Nothing” we ever got, though I can’t bear to go back and actually reevaluate ALL seventeen hundred of them. TO me lack of great creativity and the need for a fixing of the throatiness keeps her from busting through the into the top 10.

11. DIANA DEGARMO:

Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Don’t Cry Out Loud”

Stand Out Performances: “Broken Wing,” “One Voice,” “No More Tears,” “I Got the Music in Me,” “Think”

Dang this girl’s sorry mid range, because she could have been put up way higher! This teenager earned her spot mostly on her fantastic high belt, her crazy breath control for held notes and wild key changes, and her ability to make every genre seem easy. Now, she’s not higher up on this list because of the nasality to her tone and the inconsistent 5 notes from what I’m guessing is F/G to like B/C (just above middle C) in what truly is the middle of Diana’s belting range. Therefore, inconsistency holds her back. But let’s all take a moment and relive the magic of “Don’t Cry Out Loud.” Now THAT my friends, was a REAL MOMENT.

10. CARRIE UNDERWOOD:

Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Alone,” and “Independence Day” (holly.rounds)

Stand Out Performances: “God Bless the Broken Road,” “Could’ve Been,” “Cryin”

Now this was a conscience decision on my part that I would let “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” which was inarguably her one truly dreadful performance, slide. Had she had one more that was awful like that, I would have had to say sayonara. However, let’s try and forget things like MaCarthur’s Park” for a minute, or the fact that she made “Independence Day” seem like a happy song and just focus on vocals. This girl has a wonderful, almost youthful tone. Her belting has a great quality to it and can just soar on the right song. What she lacked in creativity and inventiveness she really covered for with her dynamic range and tone. “Alone” was just INCREDIBLE!!!

9. RUBEN STUDDARD:

Stand Out Performances: “Super Star” (any of the 400 times he sang it,) “A Whole New World,” “Sweet Home Alabama”

This guy was consistent. He was NEVER pitchy, he had a nice range, a silky tone, his runs were on….however, I dare you to remember these performances: “Kiss and Say Goodbye,” “Nights on Broadway,” “How can You Mend a Broken Heart,” or “If Ever I’m in Your Arms Again.” Seriously, those who watched season 2, do you remember? If ever there was a vocalist who might as well of had one big long combined vocal medley, it’s Ruben. Let us remember his silky, velvet vocals. However, sometimes consistency at the sake of taking any vocal risks or stretching yourself creatively leads to a very monotonous season and a very anti-climactic win.

8. RJ HELTON:

Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Lately”

Stand Out Performances: “Arthur’s Theme”

Some of you might be thinking this list is getting kind of strange with RJ’s inclusion. However, we’re looking purely at consistent vocals here, which is why Carrie and Diana were pushed back. Were this based solely on range then yeah, but there’s much to consider. Consistency in pitch and placement reign supreme on a list like this, and this guy NEVER had a bad night vocally. His tone was a dream, albeit possibly a boy band dream, but it was just so dang nice. If Justin had RJ’s tone or RJ had Justin’s performing skills, combined they could have actually made things…oh I don’t know…a little hard for the Clarkson. RJ sang his way into the top 10 on wildcard night with “Lately.” His runs were on, and were always on. His voice could kind of melt you.

7. EJAY DAY:

Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “I’ll Be”

Stand Out Performance: “My Girl”

Okay, so this guy came from complete obscurity as a last minute alternate to blow America completely away. Yeah we didn’t get to hear much from him, but that’s what makes his voice so impossibly incredible. If you want to hear falsetto, come to Ejay, not Ace. His range blows Clay out of the water, as he can belt with the best of them, but also falsetto circles around Clay. Creativity…holy cow…find his “I’ll Be,” somewhere, anywhere, talk about making it YOUR OWN! I can’t imagine where he would have placed had we gotten to hear him sing more than twice. Silly Americans who voted for A.J., Nikki, and Ryan……

6. FANTASIA:

Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Summertime”
Stand Out Performances: “Fool in Love,” and many similar performances….

Okay, so I had to sit for a full minute and not hit my head into a wall. I’m not a Fantasia fan, but like Ruben, she was insanely consistent in what she did. Therefore, if you are a fan of her very unique tone, I like to think it’s Macy Gray if Macy actually had a range, then this girl is probably the best thing since sliced bread. She has one of those tones that makes everything sound like it’s hers, she does some creative things, but they weren’t creative enough to make me a fan. She’s got quite a range on her…look….the girl can sing whether I like her voice or not and she never had even a bad performance. I just can’t discuss it anymore, I still get hostile.

5. TAMYRA GRAY:

Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “House is Not a Home” and “I am Telling You”
Stand Out Performances: “Fool in Love,” “Minnie the Moocher,” “If I were You’re Woman”

Oh could this girl sing. The emotion came through her vocals and were just magic. She made you stop and listen, with an impeccable range, a tone that had some roughness along with its beauty, and great breath control. She was great creatively and when she went home the chances of the greatest sing off in AI history fell to shambles. I can’t even imagine Kelly and Tamyra trying to one up each other on “A Moment Like This.” Just listen to the duet they recorded on Kelly’s cd, damn!

4. LATOYA LONDON:

Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “All By Myself,” “Somewhere”

Stand Out Performances: “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Don’t Rain on My Parade.”

This lady usually TOPS my vocal lists without a second thought, but this time I gave the second thought. Belting the highest note ever belted on idol is quite a feat, but doesn’t make your vocals the most memorable all around. Looking back at LaToya’s performances, I realized there were a couple vocals I couldn’t even recall. Money notes alone, a memorable vocal do not make. I think my mind is going numb. Anyway, I adore LaToya’s tone and creative high belt runs even more than Kelly herself. This is why she usually ends up first. However, stand out memorable vocals come into play when we’re down to the final 5, flat out, INCREDIBLE singers. So I let this be the deciding factor. Let us BASK in the heavenly memory of “All By Myself,” which has that high G# belted effortlessly by Miss London.

3. ELLIOTT YAMIN:

Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Moody’s Mood for Love,” “A Song For You,” and “Trouble”

Stand Out Performances: “If You Really Love Me,” “I Don’t Wanna Be,” “Somebody to Love,” “If I Can Dream,” “Teach Me Tonight”

I believe that in a couple years I will be able to judge post idol singing and bump Elliott up even more. Clay has him on range and that’s the only thing that really edged Clay ahead, they were neck and neck for best male vocalist of all time. Elliott’s tone is just absolutely to die for. He can throw that vibrato around like a battle axe, and slice you with his soulful, bluesy, jazzy, edgy qualities. It is safe to say that Elliott is THE MOST creative, inventive singer we’ve ever had, hands down. If I did a creative count down he’d be number one hands down. This kid NEVER had a bad VOCAL performance, which is absolutely pertinent to making the top 4 on this list. His phrasing, control, and runs made EVERY song his song, but he had enough variety so it didn’t all blend ala Ruben, like it could have. Just compare the bluesy, rock, gospel tinged “I Don’t Wanna Be,” to the smooth, jazzy, subtle “It Had to Be You.” Elliott doesn’t just change his volume control, he changes everything up. There aren’t enough words to get into his impeccable runs. I think they changed my life vocally. Go back and read my past articles on him, I go into disgusting amounts of detail.

2. CLAY AIKEN:

Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “This is the Night,” “Unchained Melody,” and “Solitaire”

Stand Out Performances: “Mack the Knife,” “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch,” “Build Me Up,” “Tell Her About It,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me.”

The range. The spot on pitch. The ability to pierce a note straight through your heart. I personally enjoy deeper, rougher tones if I’m just going to stick some music on in my car, thus Chris Daughtry like voices tend to get more airplay….actually John Legend voices as well, but no matter what tone you prefer, Clay has one of the best male voices of all time. The kid can sing anything, anytime, anyplace, just go to his next tour. Clay made many a recognizable song his own, and wowed us OVER AND OVER again. He even made his schmaltzy single worth listening to with one of the most beautiful vocals I’ve ever heard.

1. KELLY CLARKSON:

Best AI Performance of All Time Award: “Respect,” “Natural Woman,” “Without You,” “A Moment Like This,” “Surrender,” “Stuff Like That There”

Okay, everything this girl sang turned to instant vocal hit. You can say what you want about how tired her voice is now, but when it counts this girl turns it ON. She makes every song her own, has a range like a dream, and just such an awesome tone. She’s got a rough, edge to her voice that makes her be able to sell the hard stuff, and this beautiful head voice and vibrato that can sell ANY BALLAD ANYTIME. Seriously, this girl can make ANY SONG sound worth while. Just ask the writer of “Before Your Love.” Kelly, like Elliott changes it up every time she sings a song. She’s that good at improvising amazing runs! She has almost completely solidified her place on the vocalists of our time list, and she is the most undiva like female to hit Hollywood. Watch out Mariah and Whitney, because this girl won’t have a melt down, she’ll just keep singing her heart out.

Honorable Mention: George Huff, Justin Guarini, Kim Locke, Nikko, and Paris

This is Jlynn206, who is happy to answer any and all emails kind or cruel. You can email me at Jlynn206 at aol.com

I will give an after-action report on Tuesday night when I return from the Kodak Theatre.