American Idol's Top 24 : My Take on Season 5 (VANITY)

02/27/2006 | Sirlinksalot

[SirLinksalot]

So, for those 35 million of you who watched the show, we have our top 24 finalist chosen out of thousands of auditioners. What are their chances of winning ? Read on ....

GENERAL COMMENTS ON THE TOP 24 :

Let me tell you something, ladies and gentlemen, as a conservative who takes merit seriously, I want this show to be about great singing talent -- not about your marketing and affirmative action plans to cater to the ethnic groups (cough*Sway Penala*cough, WINK WINK) or good TV. So hopefully, the FOX plan to tell us who to vote for this season will be foiled.

My personal measuring formula for deciding who I like as a singer boils down to about 40 percent vocals, 40 percent song choice, and 20 percent personality. But for this season, there is something else.

So with that, let's look at the field.

Start with a very weak group of women.

MELISA MCGHEE -- (21) From Tampa, FL (Auditioned in Denver) – Melissa was born and raised in Tampa. At the young age of 4 Melissa embarked on her performing career. A true romantic, Melissa enjoys singing, dancing and going to the beach in her free time.

COMMENT : Probably will get cut early because of little TV time. Hope she has a great voice and pulls a Latoya London/Kelly Clarkson out of the bag.

By the way, notice that the women have a McGhee and a McPhee? How about a duet?

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HEATHER COX -- – (22) From Jonesville, NC (Auditioned in Denver) – Heather currently lives in her hometown of Jonesville, NC, and recently graduated from Surry Community College with an accounting degree.

COMMENTS : The looks of Samantha Fox, but does she have the voice ? Maybe no one is going to stop her now, if she has a voice. -------------------------------------

SHONTAI "KINNIK" SKY– (28) From Duluth, GA (Auditioned in Greensboro) – Born and raised in Columbia, SC, Kinnik began singing at the age of 4, and considers her singing style “old school soul.” For the past eight years, she has been living in Duluth, GA, where she works as a professional actress at various theaters.

COMMENTS : The 15 seconds shown of her group performance was good. I like her. Now if FOX showed more of her than the criminal twins, she'd probably have time to establish a fan base. We shall see how well she does in the top 24.

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STEPHANIE "Not Stevie Nicks" SCOTT – (19) From Fair Oaks, CA (Auditioned in Denver) – Stevie is currently a freshman at California State University, Sacramento, studying music. She is from a musical family, began performing at 10, and by the age of 15, began a recording career. A versatile musician who plays the guitar and piano, Stevie enjoys performing everything from R&B to opera.

COMMENTS : I like her credentials on paper, but is her voice too thin? Another one of those FOX was very unfair to. Little or no airtime at all !!! Hard to comment without seeing more of her. And as if we aren't confused with gender enough, they had to give her a name -- Stevie.

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AYLA BROWN – (17) From Wrentham, MA (Auditioned in Boston) – Ayla is currently a senior at Noble & Greenough High School. She is captain of her basketball team and has scored over 2,200 points. Ayla will be attending Boston College in the fall on a full basketball scholarship. She got her start in the world of music while singing along to Disney movies at the age of 6.

COMMENT : Here is a girl who is the opposite of Kellie Pickler --- BORN OF PRIVILEGE, daugher of a GOP Senator, and a TV personality, tall and pretty. However, she does have what I call "the disease" -- that affected, cheesy R & B delivery that comes from listening to Christina Aguilera's "Stripped" too many times, and trying to cover Beyonce. We've seen too many girls like her in the past.

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BRENNA GETHERS – (25) From Mt. Vernon, NY (Auditioned in Boston) – Born in the Bronx and raised in Mt. Vernon, NY, Brenna began singing at the tender age of 3. Brenna holds a black belt in Shotokan karate and is an avid Scrabble competitor.

COMMENT : If she can sing, she may go far. Her personality may be grating to some, but I find her more appealing than last year's nails-on-the-blackboard contestant, Mikalah Gordon. The way she did the tongue thing when she was through to the next round is a little galling and my personal GAYDAR tells me she isn't all that feminine.

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BECKY O’DONOHUE – (25) From Dobbs Ferry, NY (Auditioned in Boston) – Becky began singing at the age of 4. Becky attended Niagara University on a full scholarship and received her B.A. in Communications. Singing isn’t her only talent. Becky played Division I basketball for Niagara University. Currently, she is working for an entertainment company in City Island.

COMMENT: Beautiful girl who may have a voice but has not really shown the range yet. Hopefully she doesn't have a "rich girl" attitude (not many residents of Dobbs Ferry ( average house price --- $900,000, New York are on food stamps). I am NOT impressed with her audition at all. She may have been put through mainly for her looks ( and because she has a twin, you get 2 for the price of one ).

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LISA TUCKER – (16) From Anaheim, CA (Auditioned in Denver) – Lisa is currently a senior at Kennedy High School. She was the original “Young Nala” in Disney’s Los Angeles production of “The Lion King” and was voted by Variety as one of the “Top Ten Talents to Watch.” Lisa also plays the guitar and piano and is a songwriter.

COMMENT : Good basic voice, Already well known as runner-up in star search. This means she already has the stage presence to overcome the "nerves" factor. If she can grow as a singer on National TV, she may go far. Hopefully, she doesn't try to emulate Mariah Carey too much (see her hairstyle). Watch out for the Tarantino "glass wall" factor ( rewind Quentin Tarantino's comments about Diana Degarmo in season 3 after she sang the theme from the Titanic ).

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MANDISA HUNDLEY – (29) From Antioch, TN (Auditioned in Chicago) – Born and raised in Citrus Heights, CA, Mandisa moved to Nashville to study singing at Fisk University. She has performed with such artists as Yolanda Adams, Kurt Franklin, Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill and Charlie Daniels. A well experienced gospel singer who leads praise worship every Sunday before thousands of people.

COMMENT -- Is she the Daughter of a Preacher Man? Baby's got back, and back, and back... She seems to me to be Frenchie Davis 2.0, but not as bombastic. A standard R&B diva isn't going to cut it though. We'll see what she can pull through. Her classy response to Simon's insults about fat people helps to win over fans.

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KATHARINE McPHEE – (21) From Sherman Oaks, CA (Auditioned in San Francisco) – Katharine was born and raised in Los Angeles. She was exposed at an early age to the joy of singing by her mother, a vocal coach. After high school, Katharine attended the prestigious Boston Conservatory for one year and majored in musical theater before auditioning for AI.

COMMENT : Great voice control, great delivery. Had one of the best pre-Hollywood auditions on AI history. I'm not sure how she'll do when she is challenged to get out of her comfort zone, which is POWER BALLADS.

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KELLIE PICKLER – (19) From Albemarle, NC (Auditioned in Greensboro) – Kellie is a waitress who currently lives in Albemarle, NC, and enjoys singing, dancing and shopping for shoes. Kellie has been singing for as long as she can remember, but only began performing for crowds four years ago. Actually, sources tell me she was one of the finalists for Miss North Carolina but didn't win.

COMMENT: Has a lot of natural singing talent, but is obviously UNTRAINED.

Will they get false teeth for Grandpa? Will they show the Scarecrow, The Tin Man and The Cowardly Lion of Albermarle sitting on the white picket fence, extolling her praises? Is Kellie off to see the Wizard? Well, we ain't in Kansas or North Carolina anymore, Toto. She's going to have to sing, not shout, and it better be on key. Being compared to Carrie Underwood ain't gonna help.

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PARIS BENNETT – (17) From Fayetteville, GA – (Auditioned in Greensboro) – Paris began singing at the age of 4. She has performed in numerous concerts and has opened for many groups, including Bow Wow. Paris is a skilled dancer in hip-hop, jazz and modern African dance.

COMMENT: Oh my, how Randy likes her Grandma, gospel great -- Ann Nesby. Paris is versatile. I've seen her do country ( Dixie Chicks ), Blues ( Billie Holiday ) and R&B ( Can't fight the Moonlight ). SONG SELECTION WILL BE THE KEY WITH HER. If she highlights her versatility, she'll go far.

If all she does is R&B, I'll just download all of Vonzell Solomon's, Trenyce's, and Fantasia's performances, and a few from Tamyra Gray in Season One. If she steps out of the box, then maybe we'll have something to talk about ( hey, that's another Fantasia song ).

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The men are only a little bit stronger:

BOBBY BENNETT – (19) From Denver, CO (Auditioned in Denver) – Bobby has been singing from the age of 7. He dreams of becoming a performer so he can make people forget about their troubles for a little while. Before making the Final 24, Bobby worked at Target.

COMMENT: He doesn't look like a strong singer, but he hasn't had much TV time, so the audience ought to give him a chance next week.

Can't comment if I haven't seen him on stage ( blame FOX for spending too much time on the evil twins ).

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PATRICK HALL – (27) From Gravette, AR (Auditioned in Las Vegas) – Patrick was born in a small town in Arkansas and began singing in church at age 4. Since then he has been pursuing his singing career while also working as a real estate manager. In 2005, Patrick married his longtime friend Laura, and they currently live with their two cats and a puppy.

COMMENT: I loved his rendition of "If" by Bread, and in another audition clip, he was better. He has an Adam's apple the size of -- well, an apple and his diction reminds me a lof of Clay. Maybe if he sang "Everything I Own" or "Guitar Man." Heh, see, I know my Bread. And not just Wonder. ------------------------------------------

KEVIN COVAIS – (16) From Levittown, NY (Auditioned in Boston) – Kevin is a junior at Island Trees High School in Levittown, NY. He has been performing since he was 10 years old and has appeared in productions such as “Guys and Dolls” and “South Pacific.” Kevin also is a member of the Chorale in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and the Nassau/Suffolk Jazz ensemble.

COMMENT: When Simon called him "Underdog", I immediately thought of him singing "There's No Need To Fear, Underdog Is Here", and decided that he looks like my good geekie friend, Freddie. But he did very well with the Josh Groban song, and he's from Levittown, Long Island, about 20 minutes from where I live, so I'll be rooting for him. Especially after last year's Long Island standardbearer, Joe Murena, was robbed.

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BUCKY COVINGTON – (28) From Rockingham, NC (Auditioned in Greensboro) – Bucky lives in his hometown of Rockingham, NC. At the age of 19, he picked up a guitar for the first time and soon after joined his first band. About two years ago, Bucky switched to a country/beach/rock band and realized that his talent crosses many types of music.

COMMENT: People are already calling him "Joe Dirt." In Boston and his picture on the net the other day with the cowboy hat and earrings resulted in lots of snickering. He might have a voice, or he might have us wishing that Brokeback Garret Johnson took his place. Hopefully he can sing more than country, because I can just listen to Buddy Jewell and Garth Brooks, not this guy. Haven't seen much of him to comment at all.

JOSE “SWAY” PENALA – (28) From South San Francisco (Auditioned in San Francisco) – Sway enters the competition making his own music. Before joining IDOL, he was a member of the 6th Day singing group. Jose spends his days working in real estate and his nights entertaining crowds through song.

COMMENT: Look -- I've always been partial to Filipino singers having lived in Manila for years and having been impressed by the abundance of talent in that country. But I can't help but feel that Sway is an affirmative action choice.

Short, with a thin, high-pitched, pop voice with too much melismatic variations ( as if doing this makes you a great singer (NOT) ). Not my type of singer. I think he has a great chance to reach the top 5 since Simon Fuller would love to break into the minority market, and "Sway" is of Filipino descent, and has lots of performance experience in the San Francisco area. He is sure to win the Jasmine Trias dialers and this alone (NOT TALENT ) will guarantee that we'll have another Latoya London being kicked out prematurely in his favor moment.

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GEDEON McKINNEY – (17) From Memphis, TN (Auditioned in Chicago) – Gedeon hails from a family of seven children (four boys and three girls). Too young to join the choir, Gedeon sang on the steps of a church for his first standing ovation. He is a senior at The Yo! Memphis Academy of Visual and Performing Arts.

COMMENT: His one audition clip didn't impress me -- standard R&B singer. Unless he has tricks in his bag, I'd rather listen to George Huff sing.

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WILL MAKAR – (16) From The Woodlands, TX (Auditioned in Austin) – Will was born and raised in The Woodlands, TX. Will is currently a sophomore at The Woodlands College Park High School. He discovered his talent after his two sisters made him sing “Bare Necessities” for their friends. In 1999 and 2002, Will sang with the Houston Children’s Chorus for President Clinton and President Bush, respectively. People would be surprised to know that Will can impersonate Chewbacca from “Star Wars.”

COMMENT: Looks like Fred Savage, reminds me of Donny Osmond. But who knows? Sure to win over the teen dialers who have all the time in the world to wreck havoc on our phone network.

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ELLIOTT YAMIN – (27) From Richmond, VA (Auditioned in Boston) – Elliott began singing at the ripe age of 5. His mother, who was a professional singer, is his inspiration and biggest fan. For Elliott, being on AMERICAN IDOL has allowed him to pursue his dream of singing professionally.

COMMENT: Based on what I've heard so far, really good singer, really bad teeth. Maybe we'll have a segment called "Extreme Makeover: American Idol edition." Sir Laurence Olivier will come back from the dead and be his dentist ( IS IT SAFE ??? ).

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DAVID RADFORD – (17) From Crystal Lake, IL (Auditioned in Chicago) – David is currently a senior at Crystal Lake Central High School. He has been singing “his way” since he can remember. As a child, whenever there was a spotlight, David somehow found a way to its center. In addition to singing, David plays the trumpet as well as a mean game of Ping-Pong.

COMMENT: Oy Vey. John Stevens 2.0, and he might be better or worse. And John Stevens is going to be a good musician -- he's attending the well known Berklee College of Music in Boston.

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CHRIS DAUGHTRY – (26) From McLeansville, NC (Auditioned in Denver) – Chris discovered his singing ability in algebra class. A gifted guitar player and songwriter, Chris has already recorded a CD with his band Absent Element. For the past three years, Chris has been a service advisor for a car dealership in Greensboro, NC. In 2000, Chris married his wife Deanna and became a stepfather of two.

COMMENT: Is he an R&B singer, a rocker, or neither? I predict he will either go very, very far, or crash and burn fast. No "Middle Of The Road" (tm The Pretenders) for this guy. He ain't no "Dead Skunk" (tm Loudon Wainwright III). Nice family man though. He called his wife up immediately to tell her he made it.

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ACE YOUNG – (25) From Los Angeles, CA (Auditioned in Denver) – Ace is the youngest of five brothers. Ace grew up in Boulder, CO, and began his singing career at age 9. He started performing at 11 in local malls and recreation centers. Ace lives in Los Angeles and works in sales and home remodeling.

COMMENT: He and David Radford could entertain at a Podiatrists convention. Looks like Kevin Sorbo ( of Hercules fame) and might sing like him. But honestly this guy like to stare at the camera (Constantine style ) and will definitely get the girl vote. I'm not impressed with his voice though. Paula fans herself when he enters the room.

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TAYLOR HICKS – (29) From Birmingham, AL (Auditioned in Las Vegas) – Taylor is a blue-eyed soul singer who has played every honky-tonk imaginable. A talented writer and harmonica player, Taylor enters the competition with almost 29 years of singing experience, as he has been singing since he could crawl.

COMMENT: O Brother, Where Art Thou? Wonder what he can do with that harmonica? Does he have a kazoo, too? People compare him to Joe Cocker, but I'm seeing (no pun intended) Ray Charles. If he sings "What I'd Say", "Runaround" by Blues Traveler, or even Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips Part 2", he has my vote. And I'll vote my fingers off for him if he can pull off Springsteen or Dylan (of course, Simon Fuller doesn't want Springsteen or Dylan performed on "Idol" -- then again Springsteen and Dylan probably don't want their songs performed on "Idol", either).

Don't judge him based on his looks and weird behavior. He is extremely popular. My friend who works at an Internet Search company tells me that he is the number 2 TV related search on Yahoo. This alone tells me he is going deep unless he sings something really out of his style. He is already a rather successful southern musician and is in this contest for the sheer PUBLICITY it affords if nothing else.

Soul music is a regional style and without a stage like this he propably would not have had a chance to be well known other than in the south. He entered this competition for the opportunity to get exposure to the rest of the country and the world for that matter. Whether he wins this competition or not he will have met his goal. A lot of people know who he is now and he will be more successful in the future.

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SO, we have many similarities to AI contests in the past... Let's look at them :

Chris Daughtry <---------> Bo Bice

David Radford <---------> John Stevens

Ace Young <----------> Justin Guarini ( with the camera mugging Constantine look ).

Kellie Pickler <---------> Carrie Underwood

Paris Bennett <-----------> a young and sweet Fantasia

Sway Penala <----------> male Jasmine Trias

Kevin Covais <----------> Anthony Fedorov

Patrick Hall <----------> Clay Aiken

Mandisa <------------> Frenchie Davis

BUT ONE PERSON STANDS OUT .....

TAYLOR HICKS IS AN ORIGINAL, the likes we have never seen before on American Idol. He is currently the most popular contestant on all of google— by a mile ( do the research ). Even a Yahoo search confirms this. See here for instance : http://buzz.yahoo.com/

Depending on what we see next week Wednesday, I think he will be hard to beat. His original music is great, he really seems to feel his music and whether he’s got the idol “look” or not, I’m glad millions of people are getting to hear his music. I hope he goes far but does not win. Winning has a way of compromising your music and Taylor shouldn't have to conform.

[new cruelty]

From the little I've seen of the show, you are right, Taylor Hicks does stand out, and in a good way.

[ansel12]

The show is very upfront about not looking for the best singer. Simon has often pointed out when someone has talent but not the look, that the show is looking for the whole package, a good singer that has the marketability to become a pop song commercial hit among teens.

[cowboyway]

This post proves that there is balance in the universe.

I've never watched a single episode of Idol ever and it appears that you haven't missed a second in the last 5 years.

[StrictTime]

(...rewind Quentin Tarantino's comments about Diana Degarmo in season 3 after she sang the theme from the Titanic ).

Could you refresh my memory? Couldn't find it in Google (although there were numerous references to the re-taping of QT's "f-in power house!" critique.

[paudio]

Good review. Thanks. I think Taylor may go far. Apart from him, my other favs are Kathrine, William, and Patrick. I think a guy will win this year.

I don't like Kellie. Her 'innocence' doesn't seem to be real. Never sing accompanied by a piano or a band? Come on...

[conservativebabe]

Excellent analysis.

On the AI live thread, we call Kevin Covais, Pee Wee. He is a little man with a big voice, and he and Taylor Hicks are my personal favorites for the guys at this point.

Paris is good, but annoying to me. I predict she will hang for a little while, but when people start voting, her bubbly squeaky personality will become grating to most.

Same with Brenna. Just not at all likeable.

Becky O'Donahue is drop-dead gorgeous, but in my opinion, is pretty weak in the voice. She should be on magazine covers and would make a great Revlon spokesmodel.

Katharine McPhee has the best voice and "it" factor package in my opinion, but Kellie Pickler has the story and the All-American girl look about her. Unfortuantely, for Kellie, her twin one last time around.

[edcoil]

What are their chances of winning ?

1 in 23


Do I pass?

[Wyatt's Torch]

You are right. Taylor Hicks is an original and completely out of the pop mainstream mold which is exactly why he has zero chance of winning. I love him, he's my favorite and I'd buy his record. But he is not the formulaic marketing star that they want to pump out millions of boring and unoriginal music to the masses. That is who wins this. It is not a singing competition, it is a marketing competition.

BTW, I've watched every episode of every season as I love music and love watching people perform to the best of their abilities. But this is not about the best singer/artist. Unfortunately.....

Also, as a dedicated fan of Bo last year, I was appaled at the complete lack of originality of his record. Sounds like every other "rock" song you'd hear on a top 40 station. I;m sure he had no choice as the "producers" and "A&R" men know best....right?

[SirLinksalot]

Could you refresh my memory? Couldn't find it in Google (although there were numerous references to the re-taping of QT's "f-in power house!" critique.

Quentin Tarantino liked Diana Degarmo's rendition of MY HEART WILL GO ON during movie night ( that's the theme song of the TITANIC if you remember). His one main complaint was that she was too technical with the song. Not enough emotion. He felt that there was a "glass wall" between him and Diana.

And here's the thing folks -- It is possible to be technically polished without putting your heart into a song. The audience are not automatons when they listen to you. They are people with heart and soul so if you wanna connect, you have to deliver more than technical polish. Diana got it in the end. Hopefully, Lisa Tucker will too. Diana was 16 when she joined the competition ( she is now a grown 18 year old performer on Broadway's HAIRSPRAY ). That was exactly the same age as Lisa Tucker is now.

[SirLinksalot]

Also, as a dedicated fan of Bo last year, I was appaled at the complete lack of originality of his record. Sounds like every other "rock" song you'd hear on a top 40 station. I;m sure he had no choice as the "producers" and "A&R" men know best....right?

You've hit the nail right on the head my friend. What happened to Bo could well happen to someone as polished and experienced as Taylor Hicks.

As a huge fan of Taylor Hicks -- I find myself in a dilemma at this point in time. Why is that you might ask ? Well, on one hand, I want him to go far in the competition -- FAR ENOUGH TO GAIN NATIONAL PRMINENCE. BUT NOT FAR ENOUGH TO WIN.

Let me explain why ...

Simon calls him VERRY INTERESTING ( he even made this comment to Paula and Randy : 'Part of me asks 'what is he doing her, yet another part wants to know what he's going to do next ..'), and I believe I know why — It's because he doesn't know quite what to expect from Taylor based on his personality and style.

Here is the 64 dollar question --- What is Taylor going to do during performance time ? He's obviously a pro musician, he's got an interesting SOULFUL voice (not of the pop genre) and he seems pretty fearless. What will he do when some theme night doesn't fit his BLUES/SOUL style ? What will he sing when he hits say, DISCO NIGHT ???? THAT IS WHY SIMON IS CURIOUS.

So, folks, Taylor has a dilemma…. which is also a dilemma for someone who is a huge fan of his, namely —- ME.

If he pulls back to blend in, he might get further in the competition. But in doing so, he might be selling out his personal style.

Does he want to win this thing and get saddled with some crappy 19E pop album? Or does he want to be himself…16 year old voters be damned….and gain a smaller, but more appropriate audience for his own music by sticking it out for a few episodes ? *THAT* my friends, is my question.

That is why Simon said what he said — HE WANTS TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS as a learning experience in the music industry. This is just something he never expected and has not seen before.

I don't think Taylor should even be on American Idol, but I love that he is and I love that's he's awesomely divisive and I think he's going to prove himself to be pretty incredible next week. I think the fact that he's such an oddity for AI is exactly why they've let him through. Simon knows he'll have lots of fans as well as detractors ( expecially the teen crowd ) --- and this divisive phenomena WILL increase ratings.

My dilemma is I want him to gain the widest exposure so that some major record label (preferably NOT 19 entertainment) that UNDERSTANDS his genre will discover him and sign him so that he can CREATE the sort of music that people like me love and appreciate (to heck with the Justin Timberlake crowd, they are a dime a dozen too many ).

So I concur wholeheartedly with those who hopes he doesn't win but goes DEEP.

It would be terrible and a real "nails on the chalkboard" moment for him to win and on coronation night, forced to sing one of those Dianne Warren songs like : "A MOMENT LIKE THIS" or "ANGELS BROUGHT ME HERE". YUCK ( can you imagine Otis Redding singing songs like these ??). I DREAD HAVING TO SEE THIS. It would be like forcing Pavaroti to do rap.

[weegee]

The gags on the Monkees were funnier. And you could count on hearing new rock songs by sold songwriters (Carole Kind, Neil Diamond...)

[ansel12]

The monkees are a favorite of mine. We began by mocking those Beatle rip-offs, but they proved to be such good guys and their music so pleasing, they won us over. They ended up earning a place as a true band of the 60s.

[weegee]

And "Not Your Stepping Stone" became an anthem for high school garage band "Rolling Stones" wannabe toughs.

Many covered copies were recorded on vinyl.

The Monkees did eventually learn to play their instruments and write their own songs. Wasn't what they were hired to do but they did it. I think that Head is better at deconstructing their packaging than 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee.

[weegee]

sold should have read "solid"

[Wolfstar]

Er...not to be picky, SirLinksalot, but unless you use the screen name Houster over on KellyClarksonExpress.com, your unattributed review above is a rip-off. Here's the link to Houster's review. With the exception of some minor editing, what you posted above is identical to what appears at KCE.

p101.ezboard.com/fkellyclarksonexpressfrm9.showMessage?topicID=884.topic

[smith288]

Carrie Underwood chose her own songs on her record, and most likely, Bo did too. Perhaps Bo just picked very safe songs or wasnt as sure of himself?

[FreedomForce]

I'm hoping Taylor Hicks does well, too. Here's a link to one of his songs. He's good. A couple more of his songs and an interview can be found at this website(wbhm.org/Tapestry/bands/TaylorHicks.html)

http://wbhm.org/songs/Soul%20Thing.mp3

[Hildy]

We're going to see who really votes in this competition...I don't believe older people vote, like, a thousand times like the younguns do. If they do, Taylor will win. But I suspect that Ace, because of the young girls out there, will be the one to beat.

[plushaye]

Taylor is amazing. He has the most amazing throwback song we've heard in years, and he's like a breath of fresh air in the AI competition. He's some strange cross between Joe Cocker, and Ray Charles and he sings soul music straight out of his soul. Have you heard his version of "Georgia on my Mind"? It's incredible. He'll have to sing that on the show closer to the finals.

The big secret is he doesn't only sing soul music. He's not a niche artist. With his band he sings a wide variety of pop with a soul-edged tone. Check out what little we saw of "First Cut is the Deepest" and "Ain't No Sunshine".
Powerful stuff. Tonight he sings Elton John's "Levon". That's a superpowerful evocative ballad that is part of his band repertoire. It's ambitious to go after Elton on that classic, but with his voice he could probably pull it off extremely well.

As for me, I've never watched any reality show before this year. Not Survivor, not AI, or anything else. I got hooked to AI in January through my daughter's watching it. Now I can't get enough of hearing Taylor. He's quirky, and strange, and phenomenal. He's on the brink of superstardom. The yahoo buzz is real. There's a huge grassroots fan movement that's sprung up to push him further up in the competition. As Simon Cowell is now admitting, Taylor is going to go far - very far indeed.