The Daily Bongo
American Idol 2006
Voted off on Wed. May 17 -- Elliott Yamin
Voted off on Wed. May 10 -- Chris Daughtry
Voted off on Wed. May 3 -- Paris Bennett
Voted off on Wed. April 26 -- Kellie Pickler
Voted off on Wed. April 19 -- Ace Young
Voted off on Wed. April 12 -- Bucky Covington
Voted off on Wed. April 5 -- Mandisa
Voted off on Wed. March 29 -- Lisa Tucker
Voted off on Wed. March 22 -- Kevin Covais
Voted off on Wed. March 15 -- Melissa McGhee
Thursday, August 3, 2006 -- Afternoon
I am not alone with a fracture in my left foot. It seems that Katharine McPhee fractured her left foot by tripping backstage on Tuesday night. It seems that she will continue with the American Idol tour. I'm starting to feel jealous because I think that means she probably didn't get a cast on her foot. Hrmph!Monday, July 10, 2006 -- Afternoon
Chris Daughtry signed a deal with 19 Recordings Unlimited. Right now, Chris is going to concentrate on the American Idol tour and will form a band for recording in the fall.Wednesday, June 14, 2006 -- Evening
Taylor Hicks has been named the number one bachlor according to People. The issue with the hottest bachelors will be on the news stands this Friday, June 16. Ryan Seacrest and Ace Young also made the list. My personal opinion is that People must have some people with no sense of "hot" picking these people because after looking at the folks selected I didn't see anyone that I thought was really hot. Maybe all the hot guys are married.Sunday, June 11, 2006 -- Evening
My boyfriend and I turned on the second game of the NBA finals. We are both cheering on the Miami Heat. The Dallas Mavericks won the first game in the series. Anyway, imagine our surprise when we heard that Elliott Yamin was going to sing the National Anthem. Well, the song started out okay, but by the middle of the song, Yamin lost it and was really pitchy and off key. It was one of the worst renditions of the song that I have heard. Let's hope that Yamin gives up on singing the National Anthem in future. An interesting tidbit that I just learned about Yamin is that his father, Shaul Yamin, is an Israeli Jew of Iraqi heritage.Wednesday, June 7, 2006 -- Evening
Katharine McPhee has landed a contract with Clive Davis' company. It's the same company, 19 Recordings Unlimited that signed Taylor Hicks. I believe that Clive did something similar with second place Bo Bice last year. Katharine will be releasing My Destiny, the boring beyond boring song, and Over the Rainbow.Monday, June 5, 2006 -- Late Afternoon
Chris Daughtry has turned down Fuel's offer to join the group as a lead singer. He wants to try doing something on his own, and will be announcing his plans in a few months. That probably means that he is going to wait until the end of the American Idol tour.Thursday, June 1, 2006 -- Afternoon
Taylor Hicks has signed a deal with 19 Recordings Unlimited which is Clive Davis' recording company. The winner of American Idol basically HAS to sign with the company. Unfortunately, the single that is going to be released is that bland song from the finals, Do I Make You Proud. Fortunately, the B side is going to be a cover of the Doobie Brothers Takin It To the Streets. This is probably going to be a case where the B-side cover gets more air play that the song that is being hyped as the hit.Wednesday, May 24, 2006 -- Evening
The fifth season of American Idol ended tonight. The show opened with Carrie Underwood singing Through the Rain to be joined by Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee and then the rest of the top 12 Idol contestants. Randy Jackson looked very spiffy this evening in his suit. The video montage for Paula was played to Whitney Houston's I Get So Emotional. All of the top 12 were back to perform. First up was Paris Bennett. I think she has more talent than most of the contestants. She was joined by Al Jareau singing We're in this Love Together. It was a very good duet.Chris Daughtry sang with his favorite band Live. I have to admit that I love Live too. Chris and Live were just great! I really enjoyed their performance, and Chris looked like the lead singer of Live, Ed Kowalczyk. Kellie Pickler got to spend some time with Wolfgang Puck at his restaurant and got tips on eating food. Kellie looks very nice with short hair. Wolfgang gave her escargot. Of course, Kellie didn't know what it was, and resisted attempts by wolfgang to get her to eat it. Back to singing, this time with Meatloaf, yes Meatloaf, and Katharine McPhee. Katharine was showing alot of boob.
Next up were some really bad auditions. Crazy Dave Hoover from Pittsburgh was picked as the worst male vocalist, and he came running on stage, acting crazy.
Back to Puck 'N' Pickler. Kellie freaks out when Wolfgang brings out some live lobster, and Kellie is terrified of them. Ace Young, Chris Daughtry, Kevin Covais, Bucky Covington, and Elliott Yamin sang Taking Care of Business. Taylor came out to join them playing the harmonica. The six of them continued on with a medley of songs.
Taylor and Katharine got two Ford Mustang convertibles which were like the models in the Ford commercial shown during the break. We then got to see clips of emotional family members: Elliott's mom, Katharine's dad, and Chris' wife. Elliott's mum got the Golden Idol for most emotional family member. Then we had Elliott singing U2's One. He was joined by Mary J. Blige.
Carrie Underwood sang one of her songs. Carrie can sing. Taylor sings In the Ghetto with Toni Braxton. Now that was a jumping number. The six female contestants sang, and their medley was inferior to the guys. I thin that in general the guys were better than the women. So then another Golden Idol was given to this guy, Michael Sandecki, who did an impersonation of Clay Aiken during the auditions. Well, Ryan had the guy sing, and while he sang, Clay Aiken came out and sang with him.
After the commercial break, we had the Idol contestants singing Burt Bacharach songs while Burt plays on the piano. First up is What the World Needs Now sung by Taylor and Katharine. Then Ace Young and Melissa McGhee slaughtered Look of Love. Kellie sang I'll Never Fall Again. Bucky Covington sang Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head. Mandisa sang Say a Little Prayer. Lisa Tucker sang Alfie, and did the best job of the singers so far with Burt's songs. Elliott sang A House is Not a Home. Kevin Covais sang What's New Pussycat. Hearing some of these folks sing, you know why they were voted off, and you wonder why you have to be tortured by hearing them sing again. Then Kevin, Ace, and Chris sang the theme song from Arthur. Paris sang Close to You. Finally, someone who can sing Burt Bacharach songs--Dionne Warwick. She sang Walk on By and That's What Friends Are For. Dionne was alittle shaky, but what do you expect at 66. Burt Bacharach doesn't look 78 at all!
Next Golden Idol is best male bonding. Up first is Chris and Ace, then Taylor and Ryan Seacrest, finally, they showed the three guys who dressed as cowboys--the one was the kid who never left his farm, and never saw a beach. None of them (Garrett Layne Johnson, Matthew Buckstein, and Michael Evans) could sing, and they did a whole Brokeback Mountain type video clip with them. The three were brought back to sing Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys. It wasn't really so bad. I think that it is finally time to find out who wins. Boy, they have dragged this out for two hours! Wow! What a shock! Prince, yep, the Prince, was on American Idol singing one of his new songs.
After the break, Taylor and Katharine sang Had the Time of My Life. Neither of them sang the song very well, especially Katharine, but she flounced her boobies around. Finally, we get to find out who wins. 63.4 million votes were cast last night. The winner is: Taylor Hicks. He deserved it more than Katharine did.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006 -- Evening
Vote for Your Favorite Idol
| Katharine McPhee |
1-866-IDOLS 01 or 1-866-IDOLS 03 or 1-866-IDOLS 05 Cingular: text "vote" to 5701 |
Taylor Hicks |
1-866-IDOLS 02 or 1-866-IDOLS 04 or 1-866-IDOLS 06 Cingular: text "vote" to 5702 |
It is final competition night on American Idol, and as usual is being held live at the Kodak Theater. Simon Cowell was on FoxNews this morning and thinks that Taylor Hicks will win based on his large fan base. There will be a four hour window of opportunity to call after the show to vote for your American Idol. There will also be three phone numbers for both. Taylor won the coin toss and elected to go second.
Katharine McPhee started the show with the song Black Horse and the Cherry Tree. Unlike the first time when she sang the song, she wasn't on her knees and in bare feet. It is basically the same arrangement that she sang a few weeks ago. However, for some reason, it just seems like a weaker song. That's the problem when you hear it the second time--it loses its novelty. Cute but just okay. Randy said that it finally looked like she was having fun. Randy didn't feel as excited, but thought that it was better than the first time. Paula had her usual drivel about being good. Simon gave her a good with a small g. Simon said that he thought the occasion tonight was bigger than that particular song, and it was a good warmup. Katharine said that she picked the song because it was modern and she liked it. I think that it is because the judges said it was so good last time. Taylor Hicks did another repeat of Living for the City. He had on a purple velvet jacket on this evening. I don't know--I couldn't get past Taylor's look. He put his usual zest and zeal into the performance. Once thing that you can expect from Taylor is a hyperkinetic performance, and he didn't disappoint. He played the whole stage. Typical Taylor. You decide if that is good or bad. The audience went crazy for him. Randy said that what he loves about Taylor is that he always makes any song his own. Paula said that she matched Taylor and had his dance down. Simon said that it was interesting because the audience hated him. Simon thought it was a good choice of song and a good start to the show, and the worst taste in jackets. However, Simon said round one to Taylor.
Katharine came back with Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Obviously tonight is rehash night. The song starts out with something bizarre that doesn't sound like the the song that we all know and love. I think that Katharine's voice was sounding very weak this evening. This time, she went back to sitting on the floor. It wasn't bad, and got better at the end. I didn't think much of the song the first time that she sang it, and I have to admit that this time wasn't much better--a couple of pitchy notes too. Of course that's my opinion. They keep on showing Katharine's dad crying everytime she sings. Bah! Randy said that for him when he saw that Katharine was doing the same song again he didn't think it would work, but she worked it out. Paula said that every father feels tears on his face--probably from his ears hurting. Simon said that round one she got slaughtered, and that this round she came back with her best performance in the competition. I hate Katharine personally. She just irritates and annoys me. Anyway, she had an earphone in because she was doing an a cappella version at the beginning, and wanted to make sure she started on the right key. She said that she couldn't hear the music, but she started on the right key.
Taylor sang his favorite song of the season, Levon. I don't think that this song was one of Taylor's best performances. It is one of those songs that just doesn't lend itself well to Taylor's overexcited style. Everyone in the audience loved it though. Randy said that it was a nice song, but to be honest it was a little pitchy. The audience booed that one. Paula said that maybe pitchy to Randy was how Taylor is. Randy thought it was just okay. Simon said that Paula didn't make sense. Simon thinks that it wasn't the best song and that Taylor took the first round and Katharine took the second. Simon said that it is a tied ball game at this point.
Katharine sings the single that she would record if she won, My Destiny. It started out very weak. I don't think that the song was that good, and I wasn't that impressed with Katharine's voice especially in the first half of the song. I am also tired of seeing her father with tears. He is crying because Katharine's voice is annoying. I just bored with the song to tell you the truth and stopped listening by the end, and her voice was decidedly pitchy in spots. Randy said that he had three things for her--she looked amazing, she sounded really good, but he did not love the song. Randy said the song was average, and Paula said that Katharine was brilliant. Simon said that she went from brilliant to very good. Simon said that she has the potential to be a good performer. Simon told everyone to think of the second song when voting. Randy said that the singer was better than the song in this case.
Taylor's song was Do I Make You Proud?. My question is where did these songs come from? The song started slowly, and I was starting to worry about it. It picked up abit towards the middle. However, I think that either the contestants aren't going to be as easy to market, or the songs suck. Taylor really started to get into the song, especially towards the later part of the song. It was better than Katharine's, but just better. It ended on a really good and high note though. Taylor started the "Soul Patrol" chant. Randy said that based on the song, it was a slightly better song. Randy said that regardless of the song, Taylor makes it his own. Paula said that what she loves about it is that Taylor makes every song his. Simon said that assuming what he said about the show being tied, that Taylor just won American Idol. Paula and Randy then remind Simon that Simon passed on Taylor in the auditions while Randy and Paula picked him to go on.
Katharine just annoys me more than Taylor, and I think that her screetchy voice sucks. Therefore, my vote goes to Taylor. We'll find out tomorrow if he wins. Daniel Powter closed the show with a live performance of Bad Day, the song that they have played everytime someone was voted off the show.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006 -- Afternoon
Tonight is the final competition on American Idol. It will be down to Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee. The voting will take place in the two hours following the live show tonight. The results will be televised tomorrow evening. It seems that folks have been trying to figure out the number of votes that each contestant has been getting. Since the three percentages were released in the show last Wednesday, folks have been trying to split up the 50 million votes into actual numbers. That could be a dangerous game because if you think that your favorite contestant is easily leading, you might not make your call. That's probably how Chris Daughtry got voted out. Folks thought that others were in more danger of gettting voted out than Chris, and the votes didn't go to Chris.Wednesday, May 17, 2006 -- Evening
Tonight we found out who was voted out on American Idol. Kelly Pickler and Ace Young were on the sidelines and denied that they came as a couple. Over 50 million votes were place last night. It also appears that the difference between the three is very small. The only thing that was painful about the night was that the show was an HOUR long. They spent a good portion of the show on the trips that the three contestants made to their hometowns. Alot of people showed up in Hoover, Alabama, Taylor Hicks' home town. If all those people called in for him, he should make it in to the finals. Taylor sang Taking it to the Streets from the American Idol Season 5 Encores. The CD will be on sale next Tuesday. Katharine McPhee made some unfunny jokes about going back to visit her boring hometown LA. We didn't get to see alot of crowds showing up for Katharine. The kids from her high school got out of classes and were happy to be on television, so they showed up for Katharine. There were also a few people at her house. Katharine doesn't have alot of fans--at least in LA. It must be because she doesn't come from a small hometown. Katharine sang Think from the American Idol CD. Elliott Yamin went home to Richmond, Virginia. Elliott had alot more fans show up for his appearances than Katharine did. It's too bad that Elliott is so wooden because he does have a decent voice. Elliott also had a parade in his honor with alot of crazy and excited fans lining the parade route. Elliott, Elliott's mom, and Paula Abdul were crying after the video clip of Elliott's homecoming. Elliott sang Moody's Mood for Love which is also on the CD. Clive Davis came out onto the stage right before the announcement of who would be off the show. Clive Davis is past it as is evidenced by his poor selection of songs for the contestants yesterday. Clive talked about how the previous winners have done with sells. The final three gave him an award for all the work that he has done with American Idol. Finally! The results. Katharine has spent most of the time looking like dumbfounded. They showed the difference in votes. Number one got 33.68%, number two got 33.26% number three got 33.06%. That is a close result. Elliott Yamin got the lowest number of votes. That really sucks because Katharine McPhee deserved to go. The final two are Taylor and Katharine. The dumbfounded look came off of Katharine's face. I really think the girl isn't too bright. I am not a fan of hers, and I hope that Taylor wins the finale.Tuesday, May 16, 2006 -- Evening
Vote for Your Favorite Idol
| Elliott Yamin |
1-866-IDOLS 01 or 1-866-IDOLS 04 or 1-866-IDOLS 07 Cingular: text "vote" to 5701 |
Katharine McPhee |
1-866-IDOLS 02 or 1-866-IDOLS 05 or 1-866-IDOLS 08 Cingular: text "vote" to 5702 |
Taylor Hicks |
1-866-IDOLS 03 or 1-866-IDOLS 06 or 1-866-IDOLS 09 Cingular: text "vote" to 5703 |
The final three sang on American Idol tonight. The show was split into three segments this evening. The first song was picked by Clive Davis. Clive picked Open Arms by Journey. I think that Clive must have had it for Elliott because the song was really awful. I don't think that Elliott has a Steve Perry type voice. Really unmemorable. Randy said that he was with Journey and that song is near and dear to his heart. Randy thought he worked it out even though he had problems in the chorus. Paula said that Elliott was in excellent voice and he did a good job. Simon said that it was a good choice of song and that it wasn't the best for Elliott. Simon said that Elliott was too stiff and needs to loosen up if he wants to make it to the finals.
For Katharine McPhee, Clive picked I Believe I Can Fly, the R. Kelly song. He wants her to soar with the melody. I don't know if Clive is doing a good job with the picks today because I'm not very impressive with Katharine's performance. Or maybe it is because this threesome is just weak. In fact, Katharine's screetchy voice was giving me goose-bumps. Randy said that Katharine looked amazing. He just doesn't believe that Katharine is that singer and thought it wasn't the song for her. Paula liked the color, and then had alot of trouble coming up with the words. Paula and Randy tried to tell her that it was the song choice. Simon said that he thought she was being unfair because Katharine didn't pick the song, and that Katharine created abit of a moment there for herself despite some bum notes.
Clive picked Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen for Taylor Hicks. I think that Clive needs to retire, or at least not pick songs. It seems that Clive got the approval from Bruce for Taylor to sing the song on the show. Taylor did the best that he could with the song, and I think that it was more in his style. He did the best job with the Clive song of the three contestants. Taylor even got Paula to dance with him. Definitely the best of the three. Randy said that he really loves the fact that Taylor knows how to have a good time. Paula thought that Taylor did a great job and wished she had doublestick tape to hold her dress up. Simon thought that it paled in comparison to the original, but it was okay. Simon also said that Paula was looking good for her age. She is going to be 44 in June. Paula threw herself all over Simon in a drunken routine.
For round two, the judges picked the songs. L. Douglas Wilder, the mayor of Richmond, Virginia, told Elliott that Paula picked What You Won't Do For Love by Bobby Cauldwell. Paula picked it because Elliott is full of love and funky, soulful, white boy. She also said that it suits his voice. The song is a better choice for Elliott's voice, but he somehow manages to make it the most boring song. I think that Simon is right. The guy is just too wooden and personality-less. Randy thought that Elliott was sharp throughout the song, and that it wasn't his strongest performance. Paula praised him and said that this was the song for him. Simon said that he didn't like the song, but the style was Elliott's and that it was pretty good. Mayor of LA, Antonio Villaraigosa told Katharine McPhee that Simon picked Somewhere Over the Rainbow for her. Simon knew that this was probably the most perfect song for her, and she could have a big moment with this. I'm not sure what song she was singing, but it didn't sound like the typical Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I think that the performance was meant to be moving with Katharine on the floor and low music. I think she slaughtered the song, and I was underimpressed. I only recognized bits of it. The best parts were the parts when she didn't try to sing it--and didn't screetch. My boyfriend said it was brutal. Randy said finally--and said it was the best vocal of the season. Paula said that she applauds her and says her best is when Katharine doesn't over do it. Simon said that he was happy for her because she doesn't need to over do. Simon said that it was the best performance of the season. I think not. In fact, I thought that both of her songs stunk up the joint, and I know stink.
Govenor Bob Riley of Alabama told Taylor Hicks that Randy Jackson picked You Are So Beautiful, a Joe Cocker song. This should be perfect for Taylor, and as soon as the words came out of Taylor's voice, it was obvious. There were a few notes that were too low for Taylor. However, this was a typical Taylor song. Randy said it was a tender moment. Paula thought that Taylor looked like a star. Simon said that it was by far and away the best performance by Taylor this season.
The contestants now get to pick their own song. Elliott picked I Believe To My Soul by Ray Charles. I think that Elliott did a better job of picking a song for himself than Clive Davis did. I think that Elliott did a decent job. He's just a boring person though, and I find myself distracted by other things as I listen to him. He is too stiff. Randy said that he didn't think it was the perfect song, but that Elliott can definitely sing, and did a good job. Paula said that it wasn't a song that people can connect to, but that Elliott can sing and is s funky white boy. Simon said that his songs aren't going to carry him through. Simon said that he is a great singer though and will make his mom proud regardless of what happens. Katharine picked I Ain't Got Nothing But the Blues because she doesn't want to be compared to anyone today and loves the song. I think that Katharine's voice just gets under my skin for some reason. I think that she put alot of personaltiy into this song, but her screetchy, off-pitched voice annoys me. Randy said it was okay and understood what Katharine was trying to do. Paula thought the second song was her magic, but she still did a great job. Simon thought that overall it was a good night for Katharine. He just wishes that the second song was her last song to leave a lasting memory. As Simon said, it was just okay.
Taylor picked Try a Little Tenderness. It started out as a slow and soulful song, and then picked up the beat. I thought that Taylor did a decent job with the song. he gave the three best performances of the evening, and deserves to go on to the finals and to win it all. It was pure Taylor Hicks. Randy said that he has a new name for Taylor is Have a Good Time Funky Taylor. Paula said that she chose it for Taylor and he picked it himself. Simon said it was a smart choice of song, good performance, and he'll see Taylor next week.
I think that Katharine's three performances were each weak and she deserves to go. Elliott isn't the best, but he is better than Katharine. Taylor is just leaps and bounds ahead of them. Hopefully he will get the votes. Listening to the recap of Katharine's performances is painful to my ears. I hope that she goes.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006 -- Afternoon
Simon Cowell is now picking Taylor Hicks to win it all in this year's American Idol. I think that Taylor is going to be a marketing nightmare. Yeah, he's entertaining as a novelty and in putting one to the man by voting for a hyperactive gray haired man, but that really doesn't sell records. Well, at least it doesn't sell records over time. Maybe the Taylor fans will rush out to get the first CD, but where does it go after that? The problem is that I don't see Katharine McPhee or Elliott Yamin faring much better. Tonight the final three will compete. Since Paula Abdul is picking Elliott's song, and I found out that Simon is picking Katharine McPhee's, that leaves Randy Jackson picking a song for Taylor. It will be interesting to see how they do.Friday, May 12, 2006 -- Late Evening
For next week's American Idol, the contestants are going to make a visit to their home towns. Taylor Hicks went home to Alabama, Katharine McPhee stayed in LA (her hometown), and Elliott Yamin went home to Virginia. Paula Abdul wants Elliott to win because I believe that she feels sorry for him being 90% deaf in his right ear. Next week the contestants will sing three songs each. One will be the contestant's choice, the second will be Clive Davis' choice, and the last will be the judges' choice. Paula chose What You Won't Do for Love by Bobby Caldwell for Elliott. Meanwhile Chris Daughtry's fans are trying to claim that there were problems with the phones lines and the votes for Chris weren't accurate because folks couldn't dial in. If that were the case, folks should have been complaining Tuesday night, and that doesn't appear to be the case.Friday, May 12, 2006 -- Evening
People are still in shock over Chris Daughtry getting the boot on this week's American Idol. In fact, Simon Cowell now says that he doesn't know who will win the competition this year. The irony is that he is now going to be stuck with a threesome that will be hard to market. Elliott Yamin is a wooden, personality-less singer, who may at times be technically good, but just doesn't have that special something that makes him Idol worthy. Then there's Katharine McPhee who although very good looking, really is annoying with the facial contortions, and is just plain ordinary when it comes to singing. Finally Taylor Hicks' extremely hyper-personality wears thin after any exposure over 15 minutes. In fact, although I liked Taylor in the beginning, he just annoys the heck out of me now. It's going to be a promotional nightmare with this threesome. Now Chris may also have a genre singer--fitting more into the grunge rocker mold--but he had charisma. In fact, some think that the reason he didn't get votes may have been due to folks thinking Chris was a safe bet to make it to the finals, and voted for others that might not have been so secure. All of that doesn't matter though because Chris will be just fine. He is pondering his options, which include an offer from Fuel to be their lead singer. It seems that the group's lead singer left in February, and they were wowed by Chris' rendition of their song, Hemorrhage, earlier in the season. Chris is pondering whether he should just start his own band or join an established band.Wednesday, May 10, 2006 -- Evening
Another one bites the dust on American Idol tonight. This week's Ford commercial was a cute one where the guys remove the junk from Katharine's garage and fill it with grass, plants, fish, and parrots. Kermit was in the car with Katharine. Cute. Then we saw a video clip of Priscella Presley showing the contestants around Graceland. Lisa Marie was there too--looking abit chunky. However, I can't get over the ugly thing that was going on with Priscella's mouth. I think that she has a collegen error with her upper lip. It looks horrifying--quite scary. Sort of like an ugly Mortica Addams. Rebecca Romijn was in the audience and had a request to hear Taylor Hicks sing Jailhouse Rock again. He did. Taylor Hicks and Elliott Yamin are in one group, and Chris Daughtry and Katharine McPhee are in a second group. Chris and Katharine are in the bottom two. I was feeling nervous before this. Simon said that based on last night, he felt that Katharine should go. Chris Daughtry was the one who was voted off! Chris admits to being alittle bit in shock, and it is surprising because all the judges seem to think that he would make it to the finals. The only thing is that Chris will do well, and should have a record contract. I started to get nervous when I saw Chris with Katharine. As he watches his good-bye clip, Chris seems very serious. He will do fine. Paula Abdul is crying alot. I am sad, but Chris will get a record deal. I'm sure of it.Tuesday, May 9, 2006 -- Evening
Vote for Your Favorite Idol
| Taylor Hicks |
1-866-IDOLS 01 or 1-866-IDOLS 05 Cingular: text "vote" to 5701 |
Chris Daughtry |
1-866-IDOLS 02 or 1-866-IDOLS 06 Cingular: text "vote" to 5702 |
Elliott Yamin |
1-866-IDOLS 03 or 1-866-IDOLS 07 Cingular: text "vote" to 5703 |
| Katharine McPhee |
1-866-IDOLS 04 or 1-866-IDOLS 08 Cingular: text "vote" to 5704 |
Only four contestants remain on American Idol. Each of the contestants will sing two songs. Today's show is in homage to Elvis. The contestants were flown to Graceland in Memphis. Priscilla Presley was there to met them, and it looked like something was horribly wrong with her teeth or mouth. The person coaching the contestants this week is Tommy Mottola. He thinks this is going to be the greatest show of the season. We shall see. First up is Taylor Hicks. Taylor's first song is Jailhouse Rock. Tommy Mottola had Taylor raise the key a level and thinks it will give Taylor a chance to shine. Taylor did a decent job with the song, and had his hair flipped in the front to mimic Elvis. I think it was okay. Not great, but okay. Randy Jackson said that Taylor was in his element and it was the way to start off the show. Paula Abdul said that Taylor looked like he looked fantastic and was original as ever and phenomenal. Simon Cowell asked the judges to get real, and said in the real world it was a terrible impersonation of Elvis, the dancing was hideous, and it was just karaoke with a capital K. Ryan asked Simon if he ever lived in the real world with his mansions and things.
Chris talks about his many fan clubs and how they send him alot of things, especially junk food. The answer to the top question with his fan club is boxer briefs. Must be his favorite underwear! Chris is singing Suspcious Minds. Mottola likes Chris' vocal sound and thinks it will be amazing on record. Chris had dark glasses on for his look. I am a Chris fanatic, and I think that he did a very nice job with the song. He has a very nice sound, rich voice, and doesn't shout this song at all. Very nicely done, in my humble opinion. Randy looks serious, and says that it was a nice, tender moment. Not the best performance for Randy. Paula thought that Chris did a great job. Simon said, "sunglasses aside, that worked." Elliott Yamin is next and is singing If I Can Dream. It sounded awful in the practice, and Tommy Mottola said that it needed alot of practice and that Elliott didn't want it to sound like a Bar Mitzvah song. Tommy said that Elliott is really, really going to have to work on the song to pull it off. The song starts sounding weak and Elliott's voice sounded shaky. Obviously, Elliott didn't get as much practice as he should have, and with this song, he is looking like he will probably be voted off. He did pick it up at the end, but it didn't do it for me. Randy said he wasn't sure about Elliott doing this song, but claimed that Elliott laid it out. Paula said that Simon told her that this song was a big closer for Elvis, and that she thought it was Elliott's best vocal performance this season. Simon said that Elliott came into the show as an underdog, and that so far it was the best performance. I didn't agree, but maybe it is because I'm not a huge Elliott fan.
Katharine McPhee is singing Hound Dog, and Tommy Mottola said that is hard song to pull off because it is a signature sound. Tommy thinks she has a fluid sound and great range, and a really great voice. I'm also not a big Katharine fan, but I thought that she did a decent job with the song. It was really rocking. It's just that looking at her, I'm turned off with the hair in her face and facial contortions. Randy said that it was obvious she had a good time. It seems that she dropped her lyric in the middle, but worked it out. Paula thought it looked like fun. Simon thought it looked like a desperate, manic performance--manic and shrieky. Simon didn't think that it was a great performance and hoped that Katharine had a better second song.
Taylor sings his second song of the night, In the Ghetto. Tommy Mottola thought this Taylor's best performance, and told him to just sing it and not act up too much with it. The song was okay for me. I didn't think that it was that impressive. Randy said that it was the right key and right song, and that was the kind of record that Taylor should make. Paula said that it showed another side to Taylor and how well-rounded. Simon said that the first song was just silly, but that the second song was perfect for Taylor. Simon thinks that Taylor has sung his way into the semi-finals. Chris sings his second song, A Little Less Conversation. Tommy thought that this was a difficult song and thought that Chris should practice in front of a mirror and will rise to the occassion. I just love Chris, and thought that he did a nice job with the song. Again, he sang the song as opposed to shouting it. He also seemed to play the audience well, and at the end, he got his usual rocking in. Randy said that something good was happening and thought that it was the right key and it was hot. Paula said that she adored Chris and thought the song showed a little more personality. Simon thought that the first song was better, and that this song was okay. Chris said that the song was written slower and lower in the beginning and he wanted to stay true to Elvis.
Elliott sings Trouble. Again, it doesn't sound too good in practice. Tommy Mottola thought that Elliott was a laid-back kid. Tommy Mottola thought that Elliott has a raspy, rough and tumble style and pulled it off well. I think that the song was okay, better than his first song (which everyone else seemed to like except for me). I think that Elliott was trying hard--maybe over trying. Randy said that something was going on tonight and thought it was Elliott's best performance ever. Paula agrees and thinks it ws Elliott's best performance ever. Simon thinks that Elliott came out fighting and deserves to go through to the next round. Ryan said that he thought he should give Paula a dollar after seeing her dance to Elliott's song.
Katharine McPhee sings Can't Help Falling in Love. The practice didn't sound good. Tommy Mottola said that Katharine has to emote and pay attention to what the vocal is saying. Mottola thinks that Katharine has a special voice and can do incredible thing with it. The song starts out very weak and out of tune to my ears. I think that the song and performance were subpar. Unfortunately, the worst of the evening. Randy said that it was better than the first song, and she ran out of air and had pitchy problems. Paula liked seeing Katharine dance (which she didn't do here), and that she has a beautiful voice. Simon exhales and said that this wasn't one of Katharine's best nice. Simon said that he wanted apple pie, but he got apple pie with a gallon of cream on top. He thought that the song went over the top towards the middle. Simon thinks that she came into the night at a disadvantage, that she didn't choose the right songs, and that the arrangment was too much. Katharine looks disappointed.
Althought I was sure that Elliott would get voted off, Katharine gave the weakest performance of the evening. I think that she may be voted off tomorrow.
Saturday, May 6, 2006 -- Late Morning
Simon Cowell has given his opinion of who he thinks will be the final two on American Idol. Simon says that he thinks that Taylor Hicks and Chris Daughtry will be the finalists. Simon did say that Katharine McPhee could not be ruled out though. The interesting comment that Simon made was that his ego was the smallest of the show's regulars. According to Simon, Ryan Seacrest has the biggest ego, followed by Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and then himself. Randy Jackson recently renewed his contract with American Idol for an additional three years. Paula Abdul had done the same earlier in the season. Simon, however, has a five year contract that pays him $35 million a year.Wednesday, May 3, 2006 -- Evening
Another contestant was voted off of American Idol this evening. 45.5 million votes were cast last night. Of course each vote doesn't correspond to one person. The five contestants sang We Are One together on the stage. I think that in general this group is much better than last year's. They don't sound bad at all when they sing together, and last year it was like torture to hear the group sing. The group are told that the remaining four will be flown to Graceland as soon as the show is over, and they will be working with Tommy Mottola. Paris Bennett is the first person put in the bottom two. Ryan Seacrest has her sing Kiss. Elliott Yamin joins Paris in the bottom two, and sings On Broadway. Who will it be? Paris is the person who is voted off. She manages to keep it together very well at the end considering how she cried for the others. And then there were four.Tuesday, May 2, 2006 -- Evening
Vote for Your Favorite Idol
| Elliott Yamin |
1-866-IDOLS 01 or 1-866-IDOLS 06 Cingular: text "vote" to 5701 |
Paris Bennett |
1-866-IDOLS 02 or 1-866-IDOLS 07 Cingular: text "vote" to 5702 |
Chris Daughtry |
1-866-IDOLS 03 or 1-866-IDOLS 08 Cingular: text "vote" to 5703 |
| Katharine McPhee |
1-866-IDOLS 04 or 1-866-IDOLS 09 Cingular: text "vote" to 5704 |
Taylor Hicks |
1-866-IDOLS 05 or 1-866-IDOLS 10 Cingular: text "vote" to 5705 |
Tonight on American Idol the contestants get to sing two songs. One from their birth year and the other from the top 10 charts this week. Elliott Yamin was born in 1978 and sang George Benson's Broadway. His voice was shaky, although the song was the sort of song that was good for him. For some reason though, his voice just seemed weak and overpowered by the music. Randy said that the song started rough, but that he did better by the middle of the song. Paula said that she agreed with Randy. She did say that he had a rich voice at the end. Simon didn't think that it was Elliott's best performance and that it was disjointed, and thinks that it is good that Elliott has two songs tonight.
Paris sang Prince's Kiss because it was something different from her usual. Paris was born in 1988. She did a decent job with the song. She was strutting her stuff right in front of the audience. It gave her a chance to vogue rather than showcasing her voice. Randy said that it was nice to see her showing her youth and he thought it was nice and he liked it. Paula thought that she like it when Paris sang songs from the past era. Simon said screetchy and annoying. Paris said that she still thanks Simon and loves all the opinions. I like Paris. She just seems like a very nice girl. Chris Daughtry was born in 1979, and sang Styx's Renegade. The song was perfect for his voice, and it is very obvious that Chris can sing although the high note was enough to hurt one's ears. But fortunately that was only one instance. Great song! All Randy could say is "America we have a real hot one tonight." Paula said that Chris has already shown what he can do and has set the standard and is already on his path and was outstanding. Simon said that was a million times better than the first two performances and was a great choice of song.
Katharine McPhee lost a button on her outfit last time. I didn't notice that. Katharine was born in 1984. She sang Against All Odds. I thought that the song started out on the weak. She started to oversing the song in the middle and ended that way. I think I just don't like Katharine. Randy said that she looked amazing and didn't know if the key was for her and thought it was too low, but she thought she did okay. Paula said that it wasn't her favorite performance. Simon said that last week he got it wrong, but tonight was a mess and the song got away from her. As he said, fortunately she has two songs to sing. Taylor Hicks was born in 1976, and he sang Wild Cherry's Play that Funky Music. That was a song tailor made for Taylor. I don't think he did that great a job with it though. He really gets into it though, and squirms all over the stage. Obviously Taylor was just going for the dance votes. He ended the song lying on the stage. Overblown, but the audience liked it. Randy said that it was obvious that Taylor had a good choice. Randy felt like he was in a bar and had too many. Paula thought that Taylor obviously had fun. Simon thought it was like a horrible, horrible wedding performance.
A cd of the contestants singing songs, titled Encore, will be on sale May 23, it was announced. Elliott was back for his second chance. This time he has to sing a top 10 song from any of the Billboard's charts. He sang Home by Michael Buble. Unfortunately, it was an extremely boring song, and just not memorable. Elliott's voice was boring too. Randy said that he loved seeing a tender side to Elliott and it was a nice choice. Paula said that it gave everyone a chance to hear the richness of Elliott's voice. Simon said that he wouldn't have chosen a song saying "I want to go home." Simon just didn't think that it was memorable, and is just a little bit concerned. Be without You by Mary J. Blige was sung by Paris. This was another song that was on the boring side and not really note-worthy. Paris tried to soul it up towards the end, but it might have been too little too late. It was okay. Randy said that it was a big risk singing Mary J, and even though it was pitchy at parts, Paris rocked. Paula thinks that Paris has it, and had hoped for a Paris flip on it. Simon thought that Paris did rather well with it, and thought that Paul had it wrong.
Chris Daughtry sang I Dare You. Chris really rocks and screams this one. It was typical Chris and you either love it or hate it. I love it. Randy said that he can already tell that the songs were getting to his voice, and that it was okay. Paula said that she loves him even though it wasn't her song. Simon said that Chris' voice seemed to be giving way and that sort of worried him, but that he should be okay. Chris thought that he might have pushed it alittle much because he sang that song five times today. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree was sung by Katharine McPhee. Although she really seemed to be enjoying herself, I didn't think that it was a good choice for her voice, especially at the beginning. Katharine was either lying or kneeling on the floor and had two guys beside her who were playing the box drum. She did seem to be enjoying herself. Randy said that it was a wild show, but that was more like the Katharine that he loved. Paula loved the choreography. Simon thought it was a strange show. He preferred the second song to the first because it was a different and younger song, and showed more personality and it was a good choice of song.
Taylor was last. He sang Something which really is an old George Harrison song from the early 1970s. I really don't understand how he can be singing this song, unless someone re-released it. Taylor didn't do a bad job with the song though. Randy said that the cool part was the song and that he loves the Beatles. Paula thought that it was a challenge and that he didn't overdo it. Simon said that it's easy to forget with all of Taylor's balminess that he is a good singer.
Obviously the two on the bubble tonight are Elliott Yamin and Paris Bennett. Katharine McPhee is iffy too. I think that Chris Daughtry and Taylor Hicks should be safe for this week.
Monday, May 1, 2006 -- Evening
Tomorrow should be an interesting night on American Idol. The five remaining contestants will each sing two songs. The first song will be from their birth year, and the second song will be from this week's Billboard's charts. It will be interesting to find out what the selections are and who will be leaving next. I think that both Paris Bennett and Elliott Yamin are the weakest of the remaining five, but then you can never tell what the fickle fans will do. Vote for the Worst is sponsoring Taylor Hicks as the worst singer. That's probably true, but the fact is that he has a fan base because of his antic behavior and grey hair.Wednesday, April 26, 2006 -- Evening
Who gets voted out on American Idol? We can only hope that it is someone who can't sing, but who knows how the fickle public will vote. There were 47.5 million votes last night which is the highest number. Simon said that he thought that one person didn't get the right appraisal and that was Katharine McPhee. Simon said that looking back at the show, his appraisal was different. Andrea Bocelli sang Because We Believe with David Foster accompanying him on piano. Now that is a voice! Lisa Tucker was in the audience. The group was broken into three groups of two. Katharine McPhee was on the far side of the stage. Elliott Yamin was sent to the middle of the stage. Kellie Pickler was on the near side of the stage. Paris Bennett joined Kellie. Taylor Hicks joined Elliott. That left Chris to join Katharine. Elliott and Taylor were sent to their seats first. Chris and Katharine got the highest number of votes last night and got to sit down. The bottom two--Kellie and Paris. Kellie Pickler got the lowest number of votes and really deserved to go home.Other news on the Idol front is that Ryan Seacrest and Paula Abdul have a tense relationship. There have been comments made back and forth. Ryan Seacrest has made some comments about Paula's bizarre and drunken behavior. Ryan was also quoted in People that his relationship with Paula was "awkward." Paula also made a comment about Ryan saying, "He only kisses the mirror. And honestly, do you think Teri Hatcher is that desperate of a housewife?" The rumor was that Teri Hatcher was dating Ryan. Supposedly, Paula also claims that all the comments are just friendly banter amongst people who are for all intents and purposes a dysfunctional family.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006 -- Evening
Vote for Your Favorite Idol
| Katharine McPhee |
1-866-IDOLS 01 or or 1-866-IDOLS 07 Cingular: text "vote" to 5701 |
Elliott Yamin |
1-866-IDOLS 02 or 1-866-IDOLS 08 Cingular: text "vote" to 5702 |
Kellie Pickler |
1-866-IDOLS 03 or 1-866-IDOLS 09 Cingular: text "vote" to 5703 |
| Paris Bennett |
1-866-IDOLS 04 or 1-866-IDOLS 010 Cingular: text "vote" to 5704 |
Taylor Hicks |
1-866-IDOLS 05 or 1-866-IDOLS 11 Cingular: text "vote" to 5705 |
Chris Daughtry |
1-866-IDOLS 06 or 1-866-IDOLS 12 Cingular: text "vote" to 5706 |
Only six contestants remain on American Idol. Tonight's theme is love songs, and the coach for the contestants is Andrea Bocelli. David Foster, a producer, was with Andrea, and David was not sugarcoating anything. Katharine McPhee was first and sang I Have Nothing. The song was written by David Foster. David thinks that Katharine has a good future. Andrea thinks that Katharine has a beautiful and powerful and that she is beautiful. David asks how Andrea knows that and Andrea says, "don't worry, I know." Katharine does a nice job with the song. I just think that her facially expressions are really ugly and distracting as she sings. She needs to find a way to not wrinkle her nose and ugly up as she is trying to sing powerfully. Randy said that he thought it was a good choice of a song, but that it was way to big for her. He did not think it came close to Whitney Houston. Paula said that she found pitch problems and thinks that Katharine was forcing her voice and oversinging. Paula said that it was a tough song to sing and there Katharine's money is in her soft vocals. Simon said that by chosing that song it's like coming out and saying you are Whitney Houston and that she is not. I didn't think that Katharine was that bad, but I was distracted by her overdone facial expressions. My boyfriend was overwhelmed by her boobs being flung around.
Elliott Yamin sang a Johnny Hathaway song. David thought that it was difficult to pick a song that is so stylized. Elliott didn't seem to get what David wanted. David thought he sung well, but that he stuck to the Johnny Hathaway licks. It was actually a boring performance in my opinion. This may be a rough week for the contestants based on these two performances. In fact, I just stopped listening to Elliott because I was so bored with the song and performance. Randy thought that he did not like the arrangement because it was too confusing. Randy thought that Elliott was the bomb. Paula is crying and says that Elliott moved her. What a psycho! Paula tells Elliott that he is an American Idol. Simon thought it was a master act. Personally I think that Paula was crying because the song was boring and Elliott was just okay, and she doesn't want him voted off.
Kellie Pickler sang Unchained Melody. Andrea said that it is a beautiful song. David said that she should hit a high note because she was sounding robotic. Andrea thought that Kellie was upbeat and that he likes that. Kellie did a really bad job with the song. It was nasally and badly done, and her hair had this ugly bouffant look. This has to be the worst performance of the evening--pitchy, boring, and totally lacking in emotion. She didn't even have any emotion in her face or body. It was the very worst performance this season. She deserves to be voted off with this one. Awful! Randy asks Kellie if she thought that she really butchered it. Randy said it wasn't the right song and there wasn't anything good about it. Paula said that she doesn't see Kellie raising the bar, and she didn't feel greatness for Kellie. Simon thought that song deserved tears for another reason. He thought that it wasn't going to end. As Simon said it was monotonous and robotic and there was absolutely no emotion at all in her or the song.
Paris Bennett sang The Way We Were. Andrea thinks that Paris has volume. David tells her to sing the first eight bars softer so they have to pay close attention to her. Andrea thinks that Paris has a spectacular instrument in her voice. My boyfriend wonders why Paris sounds funny, and I think that she is trying to sing like Barbra. Always a bad idea to sing a song that can be compared to the original. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that great either. Paris does have a strong voice and showed it off at the end. Randy said that it was pretty good--he liked it, but he wasn't over the top. Paula thought Paris oversang it abit, but it was the best female vocal. Simon said that he thought it was a very good vocal, and that she was trying to impersonate an older female singer.
Taylor Hicks sang Just Once. Andrea thinks that Taylor is a good singer and interesting. David said that he got drawn into the way Taylor was singing the song. Andrea thinks that Taylor picked the best song for his voice, and David thought that Taylor has the most charisma. Andrea is right. The song is perfect for Taylor's voice. Probably the best so far this evening in my opinion. Randy didn't know if it was him, but he didn't think that the song was good and thought it was weird karaoke. Paula said that it wasn't her favorite song, but Taylor was handsome. Simon thought that Taylor looked nervous and that this performance was like something you hear in a hotel bar. Paula starts talking about the whole season and jumps up and says that "we love you." Paula needs to be taking her meds, or not taking them. I'm not sure what is the cause of her psycho-ness.
My favorite, Chris Daughtry, was last and sang Have You Every Really Loved a Woman. David thinks that Chris sings more from his throat than his chest. David makes Chris lie on the ground because it forced him to use his diaphram instead of his throat. David thinks that Chris could do amazing if he delivers the performance of his life. Chris looks very sharp, but his voice seems a tad weak at the beginning of the song, but then he starts into his usual screaming. However, that's the thing that I like about him. I think that this was the best performance of the evening. Very emotional. Randy loved that jacket and loved the song and thought he was amazing. Paula loved it and Chris and said it over an over. And even Simon thought that it was a very, very good choice of song, and a great performance. Paula really looks like she is drunk at times this evening.
Worst performance of the evening was Kellie Pickler. Best performance was Chris Daughtry. Bottom three could be a toss up between any of the other five.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006 -- Evening
Tonight was the night that someone went home on American Idol. Rod Stewart sang Just the Way You Look Tonight. Next Tuesday's theme is Greatest Love Songs with Andrea Bocelli coaching the contestants. Ryan Seacrest started by breaking up the contestants into groups. The first group has Chris Daughtry, Paris Bennett, and Ace Young. The other group has Elliott Yamin, Kellie Pickler, and Katharine McPhee. Taylor was told that he was safe and had to pick the group that America thought was safe. Believe it or not, the Kellie, Elliott, and Katharine group was safe. That meant that Chris Daughtry is in the bottom three. Paris was told that she was safe which meant that Chris is in the bottom two! What a shock. Thank God! Ace Young was sent home. That was quite a tense few moments for me.Tuesday, April 18, 2006 -- Evening
Vote for Your Favorite Idol
| Chris Daughtry |
1-866-IDOLS 01 Cingular: text "vote" to 5701 |
Paris Bennett |
1-866-IDOLS 02 Cingular: text "vote" to 5702 |
Taylor Hicks |
1-866-IDOLS 03 Cingular: text "vote" to 5703 |
| Elliott Yamin |
1-866-IDOLS 04 Cingular: text "vote" to 5704 |
Kelly Pickler |
1-866-IDOLS 05 Cingular: text "vote" to 5705 |
Ace Young |
1-866-IDOLS 06 Cingular: text "vote" to 5706 |
| Katharine McPhee |
1-866-IDOLS 07 Cingular: text "vote" to 5707 |
The contestants on American Idol are singing the Great American Songbook with assistance from Rod Stewart. Yes, Rod Stewart appears on the show to lend a helping hand to the Idol wannabes. Penny Lancaster, Rod's fiance, and Rod's new baby show up and are big hits with the females in the competition. Chris Daughtry is first and sings What a Wonderful World. Chris said that it is harder for him to sing songs like that, and Rod was impressed with Chris' effort. Chris sings with only the accompaniment of a guitar. It is a really great job. Chris can obviously sing. It is fun to see the rocker singing a soft lullaby type song, and he carries it off with panache. Randy said that for everyone who thought there wasn't another side to Chris that Chris slayed them. Paula said that Chris showed that he was out there to win it. Simon said that he had to take credit for that performance, and that Chris proved the point by listening to him. Simon thought it was a great performance. Chris does deserve to win.
Paris Bennett wears a sophisticated, red satin suit and looks very classy. Her hair is pulled back into a pony tail. The girl has a different look every time. Paris sings Foolish Things. Rod thinks that for 17 Paris is astounding. Paris does a great job with the song. She has the sultry sound of a singer straight out of the 1940s or 1950s. Randy thought that Paris should stand proud because it was her best night ever. He said it was classy and great. Paula thought it reminded her of Paris' audition. Simon said that it was stylish, cool, and said that Paris bewildered him because she talks like Minnie Mouse but that she sings in this really grown up way. Simon say that he preferred her singing to her talking though. Ryan Seacrest asked what was in Simon's cup and said that he must be drinking the happy fuel.
Taylor Hicks sings You Send Me. Rod told Taylor that to not listen to Simon and that he should perform the song. Rod thinks you must do whatever you can to sell the song, and that you have to grab the audience by the balls. Taylor does a nice job with the song, but it is rather boring because there is alot of repetition at the beginning. At the end, Taylor adds the frantic Hicks touch. Randy is just blown away that Taylor is in his element. Randy thought it was hot. Paula said that Taylor is finally in the zone to go the distance and she applauds Taylor. Simon thought the beginning was lame cabaret, and then "magic."
Elliott Yamin sings It Had to Be You. As Elliott said, this is the type of music that he loves to listen to. Elliott croons the song. It wasn't a bad effort, but it paled in comparison to some of the others. Randy said that it was a good song choice and a very nice job. Paula thought that it was the perfect song choice for Elliott and that he is in the American Idol Zone. Simon said that it was a good vocal, but that tonight more than any other night would be the night that personality will be important and that Elliott lacked it. Simon said that he is concerned for Elliott. Kellie Pickler is a little firecracker in Rod Stewart's opinion, bubbly with alot of personality. She sings Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered. Rod was most impressed with her performance. Kellie's performance is the worst so far. She seems off key and not keeping up with the music. She bit her lip at the end. She knew she did it poorly. Randy thought that it was definitely pitchy in spots. Kellie admitted that she butchered it. Paula said that Kellie looked very good, and that she is waiting for her acting career. Paula said that other than getting ahead of the music at the end, Kellie had it going on. Kellie said when all else fails, have great shoes. Simon said that it was a boring song and that it wasn't as if Kellie chose the song. Simon said that it wasn't great, and Kellie agreed. She did look very nice. Kellie said that she wouldn't put people through the torture of hearing the song twice.
Ace Young sings That's All. Rod Stewart thought that Ace was brilliant. Ace is dressed in a suit with a tie and has his hair pulled back into a pony tail. I think that his vocal is weak, and that it is pitchy at points. Of course, he throws in the falsetto thing, and it sounded like a cat screetch. Fortunately for our ears it was short lived. Randy said that he liked the look and that Ace had problems with the bridge and was pitchy, but that the falsetto is his thing. Paula loved it and thought that it was a magical night for the Idols. Simon said that it wasn't bad, alittle bit nasally in the middle of the song, but a charming performance. I just don't like Ace though, so I can't say much.
Katharine McPhee sings a few songs for Rod Stewart, and she tells him not to sing the last song because he is going to sing it on the show. She sings Watch Over Me. Rod thinks Katharine is fantastic. Katharine is a very pretty girl, and she does a nice job with the song. She really connects with the camera. Randy said that this was Katharine's element and that Katharine sailed and it was excellent. Paula said it was like watching the first time and falling in love with her voice. Paula thought it was the perfect song for Katharine and she was elegant. Simon thought that Katharine made the others look like complete amateurs, and that it was in a completely and utterly different league and that she looked like a returning pro, and that Katharine looked so much better than the others.
The bottom three isn't hard this time. Kellie Pickler and Elliott Yamin will battle it out for elimination. Because I really can't stand Ace Young, I'm putting him in the bottom three too.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006 -- Evening
Elimination night on American Idol tonight. The producers decided to punish us with an hour long show tonight. That means that the tension was dragged out over an hour. The show started with the contestants singing a medley of Queen songs. We were treated to video of the contestants family members saying that the love their contestant. There was a revelation about next week's theme when we find out that Rod Stewart will be working with the contestants on songs from his Great American Songbook albums. Finally they got down to the gritty nitty and we got to see who was in the bottom three. Unfortunately, they went though each contestant and had a lengthy video with family and friends for each contestant. One surprising thing that we found out is that Elliott Yamin is diabetic. It was discovered at the age of 17. Each of the bottom three contestants sang their Queen songs. The bottom three contestants were Elliott Yamin, Ace Young, and Bucky Covington. Ace was looking like a pouty baby during most of the show and gave Simon a dirty look when Simon said that based on performances that Ace should be voted out. However, Bucky Covington was voted out. Let's keep on hoping that Ace goes next week!Tuesday, April 11, 2006 -- Evening
Tonight was Queen night for the eight contestants on American Idol. The contestants were treated to a performance by Queen and then meet with them to discuss their songs. Bucky Covington was up first. Brian May and Roger Taylor thought that Bucky did a decent job with his performance. He sang Fat Bottomed Girls. Actually, Bucky did a very nice job with the song. His voice was good, and I was surprisingly pleased with the effort. Randy said that it was the nice way to start the show, and he liked it even though there were pitchy problems, and said that it was full of energy. Paula said he did a great job and made it a country rock. Simon thought the song was bigger than Bucky and overall classified the performance as mediocre.Next up was Ace Young. He wanted to put his own flavor on Queen. Brian May and Roger Taylor wouldn't play the song Ace's way. I love how Brian May said he couldn't do that to his own song. Ace did We Will Rock You. His voice was abit weak, and he just came across as a whimp trying to act like a tough guy. He was very awkward on the stage, and tried to throw in some falsetto. I just can't stand Ace. Randy thought that it was a big song, and thought that it was all right but pretty much karaoke. Paula said that she understood the Queen guys not wanting to bastardize their song and that Ace was pitchy, but he did okay by taking a risk. Simon thought that it was a complete and utter mess. As Simon said, he thought that Randy was being generous because it was so bad, and Randy agreed that he was just being generous and didn't want to say what a real mess it was. Simon said that he really hated it and that Ace was screwing up the words. Ace thought he rocked. I thought that he rocked, and didn't care that May and Taylor didn't like what Ace wanted to do to their song. Ace is a dodo though and didn't get it. Kellie Pickler was next singing Bohemian Rhapsody. Brian May said that Kellie has a tough job and wishes her luck. Her voice is abit country sounding. However, the performance part of it was good, in my opinion with Kellie in black and rocking after the slow part. There were notes where her voice was weak, but I thought she did a nice job with the song. Randy said that when he heard that Kellie was singing that song he thought it would be. Randy said Kellie worked it out and that he was entertained and he loved it. Paula was nervous too, but thought that Kellie worked it out. Simon said that Kellie is a very brave girl and that it started out like Night of the Living Dead, he thought it worked. He got Kellie confused by saying that it didn't sound like it would work on paper. She obviously never heard that phrase before. But it was a nice job.
Chris Daughtry was next. He sang Innuendo and found out that Queen never sang the song live. Brian May thought that Chris was great and awesome. Both Brian May and Roger Taylor thought that Chris was fabulous. Chris has a very nice voice and really had a punky sound. I think the problem was that he picked a Queen song that not many people are familiar with. It was a very difficult song, and I'm not sure how others will feel about it. Randy said he was one of Chris' fans and that he was expecting big things and thought that Chris delivered. Paula thought that Queen didn't perform it because they couldn't do it as Chris did. Simon thought that Queen didn't perform the song because it wasn't a very good song. Simon said that it was a shame that Chris didn't entertain the audience, even though Chris' voice is good. Randy said just sing it, whatever it is just sing it. Simon thought that Chris was being self-indulgent. I have to admit that I wish that Chris sang another song because this one was boring.
Katharine McPhee was next. She changed her song to Who Wants to Live Forever because she thoguht that it might be better to sing as opposed to jumping around and rocking. The beginning was really rough, voice wise. It didn't sound as if it was in the right pitch or something. All I know is that it was really hurting my ears, and I couldn't make out what she was saying because she was just running the words together and screaming. Unfortunately, the worst performance so far. I would like to say it was Ace, but this was really bad. Randy thought that it was a good idea for Katharine to switch the song and thought that it was pitchy and too big for her in spots, but thought that she did good. Paula thought that Katharine had a glorious voice and did a great job. Simon thought that it was almost the moment for Katharine and one of the strongest tonight. Amazing because I thought that it was the worst.
Next was Elliott Yamin. He sang Somebody To Love and Queen wrote it in honor of Aretha Franklin in mind and was meant to have a gospel song. I think that Elliott's voice was overpowered by the music and background singers. I don't think that great of a job with the performance, and didn't seem to lose the nervousness until the end. Randy thought that was the hardest song to sing and thought that even with some pitchy problems the all in all he really liked it. Paula thought it was the best vocal of the night. Simon said that Elliott chose a tough one, and even though he was in and out, he carried it off. Taylor Hicks practiced with We are the Champions and then changed the song to Crazy Little Thing Called Love so he could dance. I didn't think that Taylor's voice was all that in the song. It was very karaoke or barroom drunkard performance. Of course Taylor bounced around the stage and picked it up at the end. He did work the whole stage with his kinetic energy. Randy said that in the last two weeks, he wondered where Taylor went. Tonight Taylor was back and kicking. Paula thought that it was back to the refreshing old Taylor. Simon asked if Taylor was drunk because he thought that it was ridiculous.
Paris Bennett closed the show. Brian May said that Paris is "damned good." Paris thought that playing with Queen was the highlight. She sang The Show Must Go On. She was dressed like Janet Jackson ready to expose a boob. It was very unParis-like. The girl looks different every time. Maybe more like Tina Turner. She sang the song well. I think that the problem was that the song was not very familiar. She did a nice job thought. Randy thought that it started out rough and was rough in the middle but that Paris worked it out. Paula said that Paris was a powerhouse and to keep rocking. Simon said that he found it all alittle weird. That was all he said.
My choice for the bottom three: Ace Young, Katharine McPhee, and Taylor Hicks. I always want Ace Young to go, but I think that Katharine McPhee is probably the most deserving to go. We'll see if America agrees.
Wednesday, April 5, 2006 -- Evening
Tonight another contestant was voted off of American Idol. Kenny Rogers was on the show. I can't get over how different Kenny looks. He sang his new single I Can't Unlove You. We found out that next week's theme will be Queen music. Ryan Seacrest split the group into three groups of three. Mandisa, Elliott Yamin, and Paris Bennett made up the middle group of three. Taylor Hicks, Kellie Pickler, and Chris Daughtry are in another group and Ace Young, Bucky Covington, and Katharine McPhee are in the third group of three. Right away, we found out that Chris, Kellie and Taylor were safe. Shockingly, Ace, Bucky, and Katharine were not in the bottom three. So this week, the bottom three was Paris, Mandisa, and Elliott. Paris was safe which means that it comes down to Elliott and Mandisa. Shockingly, Mandisa was voted off the show! Mandisa was crying. It was indeed a shocker because I don't think that she was the worst of the singers. It's just that the fans of the person don't make the phone call to save their favorite.Tuesday, April 4, 2006 -- Evening
Vote for Your Favorite Idol
| Taylor Hicks |
1-866-IDOLS 01 Cingular: text "vote" to 5701 |
Mandisa |
1-866-IDOLS 02 Cingular: text "vote" to 5702 |
Elliott Yamin |
1-866-IDOLS 03 Cingular: text "vote" to 5703 |
| Paris Bennett |
1-866-IDOLS 04 Cingular: text "vote" to 5704 |
Ace Young |
1-866-IDOLS 05 Cingular: text "vote" to 5705 |
Kellie Pickler |
1-866-IDOLS 06 Cingular: text "vote" to 5706 |
| Chris Daughtry |
1-866-IDOLS 07 Cingular: text "vote" to 5707 |
Katharine McPhee |
1-866-IDOLS 08 Cingular: text "vote" to 5708 |
Bucky Covington |
1-866-IDOLS 09 Cingular: text "vote" to 5709 |
There are nine contestants on American Idol tonight. The theme is country music. Ryan Seacrest has a pretty full beard this evening. I don't remember him being as hairy last week. Kenny Rogers was picked as the person to advise and council the Idols. Kenny looks alot older and different. However, the voice is still the same. Taylor Hicks was up first and Kenny thought that in the practice, Taylor didn't seem to like the song. Taylor sang Country Roads. I know what Kenny was talking about. Taylor just sang the song, plain and simple. There wasn't alot of emotion, and I didn't think it was one of his best efforts. All Taylor did was stand and sing into a mike. It was a boring effort. Randy thought that it was a pretty good choice for Taylor, and the vocal was just okay and not exciting. There was no personality exuded either. Paula thought that the song choice didn't allow Taylor to shine, and she expected more from him. Simon thought it was safe, boring, lazy, and it sounded like Taylor just picked the song 10 seconds ago with no rehearsal. Randy agreed and said that it was dull.
Mandisa is next. Kenny thought that Mandisa picked a song with alot of words, but that she has a spirit about her. I didn't recognize the song (it was a Shania Twain song), but I think that Mandisa did a nice job with it. My gosh, though, Baby got back. She is hefty in the lower limb region. I think that someone with her voice would have difficulty with country, and I think that she did a pretty nice job. Randy said it's going to be another interesting night. He didn't think that the beginning was connecting but that the last four bars showed her personality, but that at least he liked something. Paula thought that Mandisa could sing the phone book, but that the song wasn't for her. Simon thought that the song was horrible. Simon wondered why he was booed for being constructive. He thought that it was funny and cutesy, but that's about it. Elliott Yamin is next, and Kenny Rogers thought that Elliott oversings. I think that I know what Kenny means because Elliott has this wavery sound to his voice. It was okay, but I thought that the vocals definitely were lacking, and there was no emotion to the song. I think the song was If Tomorrow Never Comes. Randy looked serious and said that he loved the song because it was one that he produced in the past, and thought that Elliott did a good job. Paula thinks that Elliott is humble and understated with reckless abandon. She said that he had great song choice and stayed true to who he is. Simon thought it was a good song choice, but not a great vocal, and that there wasn't confidence and alot of hesitation. Simon thinks that Elliott will have to be better. Elliott admits that he was nervous.
Paris Bennett sings big according to Kenny. She sings How Do I Live. This is one of my favorite songs. Paris does a decent job of belting the song out, which is just what it needs. There were some pitchy moments. I'm not sure if I liked it because I like the song, or because of Paris. Randy said that he can tell that it was a tough song for her and that beginning was not good, and it was just all right for him. Paula said that Paris has a powerhouse voice. She didn't think that Paris connected with the song or show the joy that is in her. Paula was booed and Simon said that he disagreed with Paula and thought that it was very good and an excellent performance. Simon thought it was like an early Dionne Warwick. Next up is my least favorite, Ace Young. He sang I Want to Cry. Kenny thought that this was the best match of song and singer of the whole bunch. I don't think Ace's voice sounds so bad, but he really doesn't have a problem with enunciation, and I can't understand alot of what he says. Boring, and it is obvious that Ace is trying to go with the crooning ballad to charm the young girls. Not bad, but not good. Randy thought that it was hard to bring his personality to it, and that it was boring to him. He just liked the falsetto at the end. Paula thought that Ace has a knack for picking great songs for his voice, and a nice take on the song. Simon said that he thought Ace chose the right song tonight unlike the past few weeks.
Next up is Kellie Pickler. Kenny loves Kellie becaues of her charm, and thinks that the high notes are her strength. She sang Fancy. There were some weak parts at the beginning, but I think that she did a decent job with the song, and it suited her voice and style. Not earth shattering good, but not bad. So far, no one has been really good in my opinion. Randy said "finally, finally, finally" because Kellie is in her element and thought that it was really great and a good song choice. Paula thought this was a song that Kellie could put her teeth in. Simon thought that Kellie's performance was pretty good.
My favorite is next--Chris Daughtry. Kenny thinks that Chris has picked a really difficult song and it could either be really good or really bad. It is a ballad type song. I just love Chris, and I'm not sure if that affects me here, but I thought that it was the best effort of the night. It was an excellent performance, and very moving. I think that Chris has that great vocal quality, and just seems so professional compared to the others. Great, great job. Randy said that every week they heard his rocker thing, and Randy really enjoyed it. Paula thought that Chris showed versatility while staying true to who he is. Simon said that it was great to see a different side of him. Simon thinks that the contestants over the past two weeks have chosen really boring songs. Boo, Simon! Chris is the man! Katharine McPhee isn't a classical country singer, but Kenny thinks that she chose the perfect song for her. Katharine does a nice job with song and puts alot of vim and verve into it. She radiates charm and energy. I think that it is the second best effort of the evening. Randy said that it was blusey country and that she sang it very nice. Paula said that it was Katharine's niche. Simon thought the song was so peculiar. Katharine said, "you can say it--you just don't like country."
Bucky Covington closes the evening. Kenny thinks that Bucky needs to enunciate clearly. Kenny was very right. It was very difficult to understand a single word of what Bucky was saying. I think that his vocal was mediocre, and it was an awful song choice. Boring and difficult to understand. This is the worst performance of the evening. Randy said that it was all right and that it was out of tune in the beginning. He thought it was Bucky's song. Simon thought that it sounded okay. It must be my ears.
The best performances? Chris Daughtry and Katharine McPhee. Worst performances? Taylor Hicks and Bucky Covington. I don't like Ace Young, but I don't think he had the worst performance. He was more along the lines of bottom of the middle. It will be interesting to see who makes up the bottom three. I would say that it would be between Taylor, Bucky, Elliott, and Ace fourth from the bottom.
Tuesday, April 4, 2006 -- Morning
American Idol is on tonight. The theme for this week is supposed to be country music. This will favor Kellie Pickler and Bucky Covington. I wonder what Chris Daughtry will do with this theme.Wednesday, March 29, 2006 -- Late Evening
I caught up on American Idol when I got home. Tonight another contestant is leaving the show. The musical entertainment was Shakira. Shakira sang Hips Don't Lie. Great song and performance! Who was in the bottom three? Lisa Tucker, Ace Young, and Katharine McPhee. I have to admit that all three sucked yesterday in my opinion. Surprisingly, Ace was not in the bottom two. The person sent home was Lisa Tucker. I was very impressed with Lisa because she had a huge smile and took it all very well. Unfortunately, she just wasn't getting the right songs in the past few shows.Tuesday, March 28, 2006 -- Evening
Vote for Your Favorite Idol
| Lisa Tucker |
1-866-IDOLS 01 Cingular: text "vote" to 5701 |
Kellie Pickler |
1-866-IDOLS 02 Cingular: text "vote" to 5702 |
Ace Young |
1-866-IDOLS 03 Cingular: text "vote" to 5703 |
| Taylor Hicks |
1-866-IDOLS 04 Cingular: text "vote" to 5704 |
Mandisa |
1-866-IDOLS 05 Cingular: text "vote" to 5705 |
Chris Daughtry |
1-866-IDOLS 06 Cingular: text "vote" to 5706 |
| Katharine McPhee |
1-866-IDOLS 07 Cingular: text "vote" to 5707 |
Bucky Covington |
1-866-IDOLS 08 Cingular: text "vote" to 5708 |
Paris Bennett |
1-866-IDOLS 09 Cingular: text "vote" to 5709 |
| Elliott Yamin |
1-866-IDOLS 10 Cingular: text "vote" to 5710 |
The top 10 are competing on American Idol. The theme for this week are songs from the 21st century. Lisa Tucker is up first and singing Because of You by Kelly Clarkson. Lisa's voice seems weak during the beginning of the song, but it got better when she started belting the song out. Randy said that it was very strange to start out the show with just an all right version of a song by a former American Idol. Paula said that there is no doubt that Lisa can sing her butt off, but that taking a song that is known as that by someone who succeeded in the show because of the comparison. Simon said that the song was just too big for Lisa's voice. Simon told her that parts of it were painful to hear and that she should listen back to it on TV and she would agree with him. Randy said that it wasn't painful.
Kellie Pickler is singing Suds in the Bucket. Kellie went with a country song from 2002. This song really suited Kellie's voice which has a very strong country twang, and her personality came through too. Not the greatest song, but not bad either. Randy said that he liked the fact that Kellie went to her country routes, but thought that the song was't strong enough for her voice. Paula said that Kellie is way better than that song choice. Simon said that the reality is that out of six years of songs to pick, "you choose some gimmicky, rodeo, lassoing, novelty song." For Kellie it wasn't the right song, but that she is better than the song. Ace Young is next and sings Drops of Jupiter. Ace has a very nasally sound in this song, and in my opinion, did a very mediocre job with this song. He gives a very weak, watered down performance, and I hate those cow's eyes looks that he gives at the end of every song. Randy said that once again it was the wrong song and he didn't sing it well. As Randy said, there was no soul vibe, and Randy didn't like it. Paula said that she won't be as harsh, but that it wasn't her most favorite of his songs. She's just fixating on the sex appeal that I think is not there. Simon said that they all had a chance to prove they were as good as the contemporary artist. Simon thought that it was not a great vocal and very karaoke.
Next up is Taylor Hicks. He is singing Trouble. I thought that it was a rather boring song for Taylor to sing. So far, all the contestants seem to be affected with poor song choices. Randy thought that it wasn't a great song, and it didn't allow Taylor to show off. Taylor said that he wanted to sing a song instead of acting up and Paula agreed that she liked that he sang the song instead of just dancing around. Simon said that he quite liked the song and thought it was an excellent vocal and his slight problem was the styling and very Clay Aiken. Simon thought it was very pop school. Mandisa sings Wanna Praise You. It was a very dancy song, and Mandisa did a nice job with it. I liked the end better than the beginning. Randy said that there is no question that Mandisa can definitely sing. Randy thought it was a questionable song choice. Paula said that there is a new religion and thousands of people are going to be joining the church of Mandisa. Paula would like it colored it abit vocally. Simon thought that it was abit indulgent, and he just didn't get it. It was not for him. No one is really doing well tonight.
My favorite is up next--Chris Daughtry. He's singing What If. The guy just hasn't that great, raspy voice and stage presence that allows him to pull a song like this off. He does an a capella part, and just rocks the stage. He looks like a professional amongst a bunch of children. Randy said that he likes the song choice for Chris and that he wants to know what song he is going to make. Randy thought Chris sounded sharp. Paula said that she is his biggest fan. Simon said that Creed would never be on American Idol, and that for the first time he has to be negative. Chris told him that it would be the second time. Simon went on a rant that chris needs to sing something other than the genre in which he feels comfortable. Simon just seemed to his britches in a twist over Chris. Next up is Katharine McPhee singing The Voice Within. Her voice sounds really sharp and pitchy to me at alot of points. At points it really hurt my ears. It was an awful performance. Randy said that he is one of Katharine's biggest fans, and that it wa a good song choice and that she didn't change it up very much. Paula just said that Katharine was the best. Simon said that it was the best tonight, and said that it was almost as good as Christina Aguilera. I don't believe that. Gosh, it was incredibly bad to my ears. I winced at times in fact.
Bucky Covington is singing Real Good Man by Tim McGraw. He picked the song because he flat out liked it. Bucky was even dressed the part of a country performer. It was an okay performance--not alot of emotion, and the vocals were okay. Randy said that it was the type of song that was perfect for Bucky. Paula tells Bucky to be careful of his diction because he could be difficult to understand. Simon said that he agreed with Paula because he couldn't understand a word of what Bucky was saying. Simon said that if it were a paid concert he would leave, and that he thought that Bucky was just winging it and it was very unimpressive. Paris Bennett is singing Work it Out. Paris did a very nice job with the performance with the song. It really didn't have very challenging vocals, but it showed a definitely different side of Paris. Definitely the second best to Chris. Randy said that all he could say was that it was fearless and the bomb. To him it was the best of the night. Paula loved the song and thought it was awesome. She also thought the dance moves were very mature and adult. Simon thought that it was precocious and like a little girl pretending to be Beyonce.
Last is Elliott Yamin singing I Don't Want to Be. I could not hear Elliott very well. I don't know if his mike wasn't working properly, or if he was just being drowned out by the band. It was okay, I guess, but not that great. Randy said that he wasn't sure of the arrangement but that Elliott could sing. Paula called Elliott one funky white boy. Simon said great song, terrible arrangement, good vocal and the dancing was hideous.
This one is going to be difficult because there were so many mediocre performances. I would have to say Ace because that nasally voice and cow-eyed look just makes me want to puke. I think that the only good performances were given by Chris and Paris.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006 -- Evening
It was judgment time on American Idol tonight. 35 million calls were made in the two hours after the show last night. The Ford music commercial this evening was cute. The contestants were singing We Got the Beat. The commercial was colorful, energetic, and very nicely done. I think that this year's group is much better vocally, and the songs that they sing together sound pretty good. Barry Manilow performed the song Love is a Many Splendor Thing. Afterward, Bobby Bennett was on stage to give Maniolow a hug. Bobby was voted out on February 23. Bucky Covington, Kevin Covais, and Lisa Tucker were in the bottom three. Paula Abdul was brushing a tear from her eye because I think that she likes the contestants personally. Who will go? Lisa was the third from the bottom. Paula tells Bucky and Kevin that this isn't the end, but a beginning. Well, Kevin Covais was the second person voted out of the top 12. It was sad because Kevin is a cutey pie. Ah well, I can only hope that Ace goes sometime soon because he annoys me.Wednesday, March 22, 2006 -- Late Morning
I'm so glad to learn that I don't have poor judgment when it comes to bad singing. It seems that the folks at The Trades also didn't like Ace Young. I thought that his performance was subpar, and wonder if he really might get the boot if others feel like I do. I think that Ace's biggest fan base is with 8 year olds and women who are wanna be teenyboppers. You know the type--in their 30s to 50s and still not able to get over the idea that they aren't 13 anymore. Vote for the Worst is still backing Kevin Covais. We'll have to see how it goes tonight. Paula Abdul is claiming her bizarro antics are caused by Simon Cowell whispering weird things into her ear, like "what's the price of beans?" Sounds to me like Paula is hearing voices and blaming it on poor Simon.Tuesday, March 21, 2006 -- Evening
Vote for Your Favorite Idol
| Mandisa |
1-866-IDOLS 01 Cingular: text "vote" to 5701 |
Bucky Covington |
1-866-IDOLS 02 Cingular: text "vote" to 5702 |
Paris Bennett |
1-866-IDOLS 03 Cingular: text "vote" to 5703 |
| Chris Daughtry |
1-866-IDOLS 04 Cingular: text "vote" to 5704 |
Katharine McPhee |
1-866-IDOLS 05 Cingular: text "vote" to 5705 |
Taylor Hicks |
1-866-IDOLS 06 Cingular: text "vote" to 5706 |
| Lisa Tucker |
1-866-IDOLS 07 Cingular: text "vote" to 5707 |
Kevin Covais |
1-866-IDOLS 08 Cingular: text "vote" to 5708 |
Elliott Yamin |
1-866-IDOLS 09 Cingular: text "vote" to 5709 |
| Kelly Pickler |
1-866-IDOLS 10 Cingular: text "vote" to 5710 |
Ace Young |
1-866-IDOLS 11 Cingular: text "vote" to 5711 |
It is time for American Idol. Tonight's theme is songs from the 50s. Their coach for this week is Barry Manilow. I have to admit that I like his songs and singing. Call me a weirdo, but the guy does have it going on. The contestants were flown out to Las Vegas to talk to Barry, and he explained to them that the key to originality is to find a way to make the songs their own--as if it were that easy. First up is Mandisa. She sings I Don't Hurt Anymore. Barry would have had Mandisa open and end big, but Mandisa wanted to end soft and end big. Barry said that Mandisa could sing from bottom to top with no problem. Mandisa was looking very good today with great hair, makeup and a much nicer dress than last time. She sings the song with a sulty, 50s sound. Then she came on with a big powerful finish. Randy said wow, that he was speechless. He thought it was a class, great way to start the night and an unbelieveable performance. Randy said all the others have to bring it tonight. Paula said that it can be difficult with genres, but that Mandisa took her back to the 50s. Simon said that Mandisa is blossoming and that apart from the vocal it was a very sexy performance. Simon said that it was a great stripper song and that he absolutely loved it! They started calling Mandisa, Man-Diva. She is pretty good, and really did look beautiful tonight.
Bucky Covington is doing Oh Boy! by Buddy Holly. Barry Manilow thought that it was long and didn't have alot going on and did some changes with Bucky. Remember that Barry used to work with Bette Midler, and he does know what he is doing. Bucky's voice was abit weak and pitchy at points. I don't think it was the best of choices just because Bucky didn't seem to put alot of emotion into it. It was like karaoke. Randy said that it was a great song choice for Bucky, and that he has the old Bucky hair back. Randy thought it was a great choice. Paula's first thing was to ask how working with Barry was. Paula thought it was a good song performance. Simon said that he is going to give a reality check to the performance. Simon thought it was a pointless karaoke performance. Simon said just watching that performance as the only one, it would be a so-what moment and performance. Simon thought it was pointless although Randy didn't think it was that bad. I don't know. I think that Simon was right because it sounded like karaoke to me too. Simon repeated that it was a below average performance this week. Paula admits that the song wasn't as rangy for Bucky, but it was okay. Paris Bennett is next and is singing Fever. Barry said that he forgot how young she was and that the power in her voice just blew him away. Paris does a very nice job with the song. She really does sound like someone much more mature than she is. It is an impressive performance. We got to see Constantine Maroulis in the audience. Randy said that Paris blew it out of the box although he was worrying about it at first. Paula said that she forgot Paris was 17 with some of those moves and that she dressed the part. Simon said that it was what Paris did best and that she has the perfect voice for that kind of song. Ryan Seacrest said that Paris looked so comfortable on stage.
Chris Daughtry is up next. He is singing Johnny Cash's Walk the Line. Chris thinks that the lyrics have revelance to him because it was written for his wife--that even though he was traveling on the road, he would be faithful. Barry said that Chris didn't need his help and that out of all of them, Chris didn't need his help because he had a handle on who he is. Chris was dressed all in black, and the beginning of the song was very soft, practically spoken, and it sounded just abit too low in key for him, but Chris did a great job with the song once he started singing, and it did not sound like a country song at all, and it ended with a grunge-rock twist. It was very good. I don't know if I am prejudice because I like him so much, but Chris was really good. Paula was whooping it up for him. Randy asked how Chris felt, and Chris said good. The audience couldn't stop cheering. Randy said that he didn't know if it was the best vocal, but that he took a song and made it an alternative record. Randy said that Chris is ready. Paula said that Chris is so true to who he is and doesn't abandon that. Paula said that Chris should already be touring. Simon said that he didn't think it was the best vocal, and that there was an enormous difference in taking a song and making it his own like that. Simon said that he thinks that Chris is the first person on the show who has refused to compromise and he likes that about him. Chris is my man! I would buy a Chris Daughtry song.
Katharine McPhee is up next and is singing Come Rain or Come Shine. She starts out with her back to the audience and turns around as she sings. It is a very sultry song. Katharine does a very nice job with the song. She is very beautiful and smiles abit too much, but she did a nice job. Randy said that it sounds like Katharine has her own dog pound. Randy said that it wasn't her best vocal, but that she took a difficult song and worked it out, and did a great job with it. Randy said it wasn't his favorite performance, but he loves Katharine. Paula tells Katharine that she looks exquisite and that she is one of Paula's favorites. Simon said that something happened tonight and that tonight Katharine turned into a star. Simon said that it was like watching a really seasoned performer, and that he loved it.
Taylor Hicks is up next. He sang Mandy to Barry who thought Taylor was in tune. Barry came up with the ending for Taylor because he didn't think that the ending went anywhere. Barry thinks that Taylor is one of the best male singers in the group. Taylor sings Not Fade Away. It is one of those Rock-a-Billy songs. Taylor has that great raspy voice, and he gets into this little twisty dance and seems to have such fun on the stage, even running up to the guy who is doing a saxaphone solo. Taylor just has the charisma and manic energy that gets to an audience. And there is that white hair! Randy said Taylor was obviously having a good time. Randy didn't think that the song was challenging, but that Taylor worked it out. Paula said that it was one of those top 10 songs that everyone danced to. Paula said that someone should be shooting this and making an exercise video out of it, and that they broke the mold after Taylor. Simon said "sorry, but..." and started to get booed. Simon said that if you saw this performance out of context, you would think it was a complete mess. Simon reminds Paula that it is a singing competition not a dance competition. Simon and Paula get into a good spirited argument with Paula claiming that Simon is jealous because Taylor can dance and Simin saying "it's a singing competition not a dancing competition."
Lisa Tucker is next. She sings Why do Fools Fall in Love. The song is a cute one, and Lisa gives it alot of cute factor, and she does a very nice job singing the song. Parts of the song sounded rushed, and there were a few seconds where she didn't seem to be singing with the band, but it was a nice performance. Randy said it was a good song choice and kept her young. Randy said that it was just all right for him in the end. Paula said that Lisa going back to the youthfulness and that Lisa is a powerhouse, just as Barry said. Simon asks Paula if he should judge the singing or dancing. Simon said that there are times tonight that he feels that he is trapped in a high school singing performance and he can't get away. Lisa tries to look very serious and ernest. Lisa wishes a Happy Birthday to her big brother, Billy.
Next is Kevin Covais. Barry thinks that Kevin is the sweetest of the contestants. Kevin is singing When I Fall in Love. Kevin sings the song sitting in front of the audience. The music is light, and Kevin listens to Barry and sings the song softly. He does a very nice job with the song, and I liked it. It wasn't the best performance of the night, but it was very far from the worst. Kevin does that cute baby boy thing going for him, and this was the perfect song for him. Randy said that he loves the song and it is one of his favorite. Randy thought he did a good job with the song even if there were a few pitch problems. Randy said that maybe he sees himself in Kevin. Paula thinks that Kevin has more moxy than alot of people she knows. Simon said that he liked Kevin, and he won't say it was the best version of the song and that Kevin knows who is audience is that his audience will love that song.
Elliott Yamin is singing Teach Me Tonight. Barry tried to impress on Elliott that he needs to do more than sing the words that he has to feel the song. I don't think that Elliott got the lesson because he just seemed to sing the words, and it seemed very pitchy to me. I was very under impressed, especially since I liked him earlier. The end was better than the beginning or middle. Randy said that Elliott chose the toughest song to sing and he worked it out. Randy said that there were rough spots but that Elliott worked it out. Paula said that Elliott moved him (she is still stuck on the hearing thing I know). Simon said that Elliott's singing was fantastic. I didn't think it was all that and in fact, I can't even remember the performance now.
Kelly Pickler chose a Patsy Cline song, Walkin' After Midnight. Kellie looks like an over made-up clown. Someone went abit to heavy with the blush on her cheeks. Kellie has a nice voice. She sings the song without really seeming to understand the emotion behind the song, but she does a decent job with the song. Randy said that it was a good song choice and that the country rocker is back. Paula said that Kelly was a tigress tonight and that it was a true Kelly Pickler performance. Simon said that Kelly got it absolutely right that the song was ballsy and good. Kelly is like the little idiot child who is very easily distracted by the audience. She loves the fact that someone has a picture of her face in a pickle. Pick Pickler is the phrase. She did a nice job. This week is going to be a hard one to decide.
Ace Young decides to sing In the Still of the Night. Barry thinks that Ace made the song his own. Ace plans a falsetto for the end. I hate that falsetto of his. Ace has one of the worst singing voices in the competition, and it was evident in this song, especially in the beginning. I think that Ace was going on the fact that he has a cute little 8 year old fan in the show. There was alot of cow eyeing on Ace's part. He has the blankest looking eyes of anyone I know. I think that it was a poor performance. More open-mouthed, cow-eyeing of the audience at the end. He thinks it is sexy, but it makes me sick. Randy said that Ace is back tonight and that he brought something fresh to the song. Paula said that there are 34 signs asking Ace to marry them, and that she thinks it is the sexiest and sultriest song of his. Simon said that it wasn't the best vocal and that Ace won't be in the bottom three because it was a strong performance.
My take on the evening is that I would have Ace Young, Bucky Covington and Lisa Tucker in my bottom three. The best three were Chris Daughtry, Paris Bennett, and either Mandisa or Katharine McPhee. The others are middling.
Saturday, March 18, 2006 -- Evening
Simon Cowell made a prediction about who would be the final three on American Idol this year. In his opinion, the three will be Chris Daughtry (my favorite), Taylor Hicks, and Kellie Pickler. Kellie Pickler doesn't have that strong of a voice, but her naive act has made her a darling with alot of people.Wednesday, March 15, 2006 -- Evening
It's down to 11 contestants on American Idol. Fortunately, the show was only 1/2 hour long. I hate how they drag the whole thing on. Stevie Wonder sang a song, Love is on Fire, from his new album, A Time to Love. They pulled out the bottom three, and I was very happy to see that Ace Young was in the bottom three. Randy said that you have to bring it every night, and Simon said that the public picked other fans and that Ace needs to pick better songs and perform better. As Randy said, Ace didn't give his best performance last night. Paula only had the reminder for everyone that they need to vote for their favorites every night. Melissa McGhee and Lisa Tucker join Ace in the bottom three. Surprisingly (in my opinon) Ace was not in the bottom two. Melissa McGhee was voted out. As she said, she expected to be voted out--probably because she messed up the words to her song yesterday. Lisa Tucker looked sick, and as if she could spit on Ryan Seacrest for putting her through torture.Wednesday, March 15, 2006 -- Afternoon
I was just looking around on MSNBC's website, and I found a fan ranking of the American Idol contestants. It appears that the low marks go to Kevin Covais, followed by Bucky Covington and Melissa McGhee. It will be interesting to see if this means that Kevin might not have gotten the votes last night. The top three are Chris Daughtry, Mandisa and Taylor Hicks with Paris Bennett following closely behind. Vote for the Worst, a website that encourages people to vote for the worst contestant, has Kevin as its posterboy. Kellie Pickler, my worst performer, is a close second. It seems that the owner of the website has gotten some insider dirt that Kellie isn't as naive as she acts. Well, nuff said. I know the naive country girl routine is wearing thin for me, but it probably appeals to little old ladies and the stupid. Last year, I liked the analysis from The Trades staff, and here is this week's roundtable analysis.Tuesday, March 14, 2006 -- Evening
Vote for Your Favorite Idol by midnight tonight
| Ace Young |
1-866-IDOLS 01 Cingular: text "vote" to 5701 |
Kellie Pickler |
1-866-IDOLS 02 Cingular: text "vote" to 5702 |
Elliott Yamin |
1-866-IDOLS 03 Cingular: text "vote" to 5703 |
| Mandisa |
1-866-IDOLS 04 Cingular: text "vote" to 5704 |
Bucky Covington |
1-866-IDOLS 05 Cingular: text "vote" to 5705 |
Melissa McGhee |
1-866-IDOLS 06 Cingular: text "vote" to 5706 |
| Lisa Tucker |
1-866-IDOLS 07 Cingular: text "vote" to 5707 |
Kevin Covais |
1-866-IDOLS 08 Cingular: text "vote" to 5708 |
Katharine McPhee |
1-866-IDOLS 09 Cingular: text "vote" to 5709 |
| Taylor Hicks |
1-866-IDOLS 10 Cingular: text "vote" to 5710 |
Paris Bennett |
1-866-IDOLS 11 Cingular: text "vote" to 5711 |
Chris Daughtry |
1-866-IDOLS 12 Cingular: text "vote" to 5712 |
The 12 contestants performed tonight on American Idol. As is typical for the show, they spend alot of time rehashing the past, and we were gifted with a montage of audition, Hollywood, and first round competitions. The idol contestants looked more polished style-wise tonight. It looks like someone took them under hand to give them hair and clothing tips. The theme for tonight is the music of Stevie Wonder. This is going to be interesting because a singer can either sound really bad or really good singing Stevie Wonder. It seems that Stevie Wonder showed up for a rehersal and had the contestants crying with surprise--well, at least some of them. First up is Ace Young singing Do I Do. Ace is shown telling Stevie that he wrote the song when Ace was two years old. There were some pitchy moments at the beginning of the song for Ace, but it did get better. I don't think his voice is that great. His thing is the Constantine thing--and there were times in today's performance where it was like deja vu with Constantine. Ace just hopes to get by on sex appeal. Okay performance, iffy voice, lots of sex appeal. Randy said that Stevie is one of the hardest to sing. Randy said that Ace was not good at the beginning, but got better. Randy said that it was just all right for him. Paula thought that he was fantastic. Need I say more than sex appeal for Paula. Simon said that luckily for Ace the audience is easily pleased. Simon said that it was abit manic and that Ace would have to do better than that, and that there would be better performances than Ace's. I agree. Just from talking to friends, I know that some of the women just give in to the giddy teenager when they look at Ace. As I have said, he annoys me, and I don't think his voice is all that.
Kellie Pickler admitted to not being very familiar with Stevie Wonder. She sang Blame it on the Sun. It seems that each contestant got to rehearse with Stevie. I think that the song was a bad choice for Kellie. It is too much of a ballad, and her voice doesn't sound like it is on pitch properly. Also, a ballad wasn't a good choice for a performance song. All in all, it was a bad performance. Randy said that it was alike a non-event with none of the Pickler spark, and that the key was off. The naive country girl act gets irritating over time. Paula said that it was obvious that Kellie was out of her comfort zone and that the razzle dazzle wasn't there. Simon said that everything went wrong with the song. He said that it was so boring and just seemed to never want to end. Simon said that Kellie was dressed like Dolly Parton (Kellie added "without the assets) and said that it was Kellie's worst performance so far. It was pretty bad. Kellie talked about having fake eyelashes that were like tarantulas. She lets Ryan Seacrest know that they really aren't tarantulas. Kellie was teary eyed at the end. Elliott was very happy to be there with Stevie and was crying. Stevie was majorly impressed with Elliott. Elliott sang Knocks Me off my Feet. He does have a sound that is very like Stevie's. If you close your eyes, you might even think that it was Stevie singing. There were a few questionable notes, but it was a nice performance. Elliott got a big round of applause when he was done. Randy said that this was Elliott's comfort zone. Randy didn't think that this was Elliott's best performance, but it was good. Paula liked the fact that Elliott cried around Stevie. what that has to do with his performance, gosh knows. Simon said that it was the best so far, but it didn't have the wow factor. Simon said that you have to show originality at this stage. Simon said that it was good, but not great. Simon said that everyone has to have that wow factor, and tells Ryan Seacrest that he hasn't seen it yet in the three performances. I agree. Elliott was okay, but Ace and Kellie were on the bad side.
Mandisa's feet are hurting in the fancy high heels, and Ryan Seacrest takes them off for her. So Mandisa is going to sing in bare feet. She was very nervous to sing in front of Stevie. She sang Don't You Worry Bout a Thing. Stevie said that he was really impressed with Mandisa, and that he thought she could sing anything. At first, I think that the nerves were bothering her. Midway though the song, she started belting it out and it became much better. Boy, Mandisa--baby got back! She is a chunky girl, and it was highlighted in the dress that the stylists chose. I think that Mandisa did a very nice job, but there were iffy sections. Stevie Wonder is hard to sing. Randy said that Mandisa was amazing last week, and that this week wasn't that great. Randy said that Mandisa was the best so far. Stevie Wonder songs are hard, and Randy comments on that. Paula said that Mandisa can sing anything. Simon said that Mandisa was best so far, and that the competition is on. I do like Mandisa. She is my favorite of the women.
Bucky Covington sang Superstitious. He should have gone with the Stevie Ray Vaughn version, and he did have abit of the Stevie Ray sound to him. Bucky's voice just sounded abit too rough to me. Again it wasn't a very good performance and the music seemed to be off. It just wasn't a very good performance in my opinion. Randy asked Bucky if he had a good time. Randy thought that it was a good choice for Bucky. He said that it wasn't the greatest vocal, but that Bucky gave it his all, and he loved it. Paula also said that she enjoyed hearing Bucky too, and that it was different. Simon said that it was one of Bucky's best performances so far. However, Simon said that the Jessica Simpson hair style had to go. As Bucky said, it wasn't his choice. I think that the stylists (dress and hair) are doing the contestants a disservice.
Melissa McGhee messed up the song in front of Stevie. She sang Lately, and is hoping to get over her nerves. The song was awful. Her voice was off, and I was having trouble hearing what she was saying because she was mumbling and running the words together. It was probably because she didn't know the words yet. Melissa's performance was one where there were seconds of it sounding good in overall mediocrity. Randy said that Melissa looked like she knew what he was going to say. Melissa said that she forgot the lyrics. Randy thought that there were flat and sharp notes and that Melissa could sing even with the mixups. Paula said that there was something soothing about Melissa's voice and that it was different from everyone else and that Melissa did a good job. Simon said that in his opinion that was Melissa's best so far. He thought that it was edgy and contemporary. Melissa apologizes again for screwing up the lyrics. Unlike the judges, I was underimpressed.
Lisa Tucker sang Signed, Sealed, Delivered. Lisa looked very cute and mod in her outfit. The stylists did a good job with her. Lisa actually did a nice job with the song, and I think that she gave the best performance so far. Again, there were some weak moments, but I thought that she brought it this evening. She did Stevie proud as she was hoping to do. Randy said that the hottest part of the song was the end. He mentioned that the Stevie choice was very karaoke. Paula said that it was obvious that Lisa was nervous and that going outside of the melody were when Lisa shined. Simon said that it was one of the best performances this evening, and that Lisa took control of the stage. Simon said that it was great and he loved it. As Simon said, Lisa has the "It" factor.
Kevin Covais sang Part Time Lover. As Stevie called him, "Little Kevin". Kevin tries to put on the moves. Kevin doesn't have the best of voices, but he tries his best with his personality and young, cuteness. In fact, there were some very rough moments in the song. He has that cute factor, but it sucked. Randy said that he loved Kevin. As he said, Kevin said it in tune which is more than Randy expected. Randy said enjoyable, but not the best. Paula said that Kevin sang in tune and had his own dance steps, weird ones. She also said that Kevin was in time. Simon said that Stevie would be turning down the volume. Simon said that it was appalling, and Kevin replied that he wasn't expecting much from Simon anyway.
Katharine McPhee sang Until You Come Back to Me. Stevie thought that Katharine had potential and that Aretha Franklin wouldn't mind Katharine singing the song. Katharine looked like she had a maternity gown on, and her eyes were done to the point of looking like a raccoon. Katharine actually did a fairly decent job. Randy said the Katharine McPhee is back to her audition performance. Paula said that there is something about Katharine voice that pierced through a heart. Simon said that Katharine is good, and that she reminds him vocally of Kellie Clarkson. As my boyfriend said, it was probably because Katharine had huge boobs hanging out of her dress.
Taylor Hicks sang Living for the City. Taylor's voice was made for a Stevie Wonder song. Taylor does a very nice job, and he definitely chose the right song. He does a very nice job vocally and with the kinetic performance. Of them all, this has been the best so far. Randy can't get started speaking because the audience is going wild. Randy said that all the gigs that Taylor performed came to a head tonight and that Taylor was fearless. Paula said that Taylor is such a fun performer and has such passion. Paula said this is what he needs to be doing to make people happy. Simon said that Taylor's appeal is that he is like every dad who has gotten drunk at a wedding. The only difference is that Taylor can sing. One of the stylists suggested that Taylor color his hair, or at least that is what Ryan Seacrest is trying to lead people to believe. It might not have happened. Paris reminded Stevie of Fantasia. She sang All I Do. Paris has a very nice voice, and she lets loose on this song. It was a very nice performance. Everytime I see her I think of an old woman trying to act young--when in actuality she is a young girl. I think that the stylists played up the mature look for her which I think was a mistake. I didn't know if anyone could be better than Taylor, but Paris did a really good job. Randy said that the greatness that they first saw in Paris came back. He said it was effortless, fearless, all that. Paula said that Paris could teach the others what to do. Simon said that the first half was all right, but the second half was brilliant. Simon said that it was very good. Paris is very exuberant and singing to Ryan as he asks her how she feels.
Chris Daughtry was last. Chris sang Higher Ground, and Stevie said that he liked the raspy sound of Chris' voice. Chris wanted to combine the Chili Peppers cover with the way that Stevie sings the song. What can I say! Chris does an excellent job with the song, and has the whole audience rocking. The set and lighting just give the right accent to the performance. Chris has that rocker quality that just makes him come across as a seasoned performer. Randy said that the thing that is cool about Chris is that every week he manages to make it his own. Randy said that Chris worked it out. Paula said everything is cool about Chris. Paula said that Chris is fantastic and she just sit backs and enjoys every week. Simon said that this was the only real world performance and can imagine Chris having a hit with that record. Simon said that he chose the song correctly, and that he made the song his. I do love Chris, and I think that he did a great job. It was definitely the best of the evening. Simon told Ryan Seacrest to quit hitting on Chris because Ryan was going on about him.
Best performance was Chris Daughtry. The person that I think should go would be Kellie Pickler. Her performance was the worst, and the naive act is really getting on my nerves. The second worst would be Melissa McGhee who can't remember the words to her song. Tomorrow we will find out who is voted out.
Thursday, March 9, 2006 -- Evening
It is vote off night on American Idol. After tonight we will be down to the final 12 and one contestant, male or female, will be voted off each week. Bo Bice was performing this evening. Bo is a rocker, and he does a decent job with the song, but I'm not overly impressed. It was quite a long song too, and everyone seemed to enjoy the performance. As I've said before, I hate all the drama, so I'm just going to cut to the chase and give the results. Ayla Brown looked very unhappy and depressed. First up we find out who is the girl with the lowest number of votes. It is Kinnik Sky. The guy with the lowest number of votes is Will Makar. The woman with the second lowest number of votes is Ayla Brown. She almost started to cry. It was very sad to see. The guy with the second lowest number of votes is a shocker! It was down to Bucky Covington and Gedeon McKinney, and Gedeon was voted out. I thought that Gedeon did a nice job. I am not shocked that Ace Young was in the top 12, but Gedeon deserved it more than Ace did!Wednesday, March 8, 2006 -- Evening
Vote for your favorite male idol| Gedeon McKinney |
1-866-IDOLS 01 Cingular: text "vote" to 5701 |
Chris Daughtry |
1-866-IDOLS 02 Cingular: text "vote" to 5702 |
Kevin Covais |
1-866-IDOLS 03 Cingular: text "vote" to 5703 |
| Bucky Covington |
1-866-IDOLS 04 Cingular: text "vote" to 5704 |
Will Makar |
1-866-IDOLS 05 Cingular: text "vote" to 5705 |
Taylor Hicks |
1-866-IDOLS 06 Cingular: text "vote" to 5706 |
| Elliott Yamin |
1-866-IDOLS 07 Cingular: text "vote" to 5707 |
Ace Young |
1-866-IDOLS 08 Cingular: text "vote" to 5708 |
Tonight the men are competing on American Idol. First up is Gedeon McKinney. We hear that Gedeon is also a painter. He sings When a Man Loves a Woman. Gedeon has this Otis Redding sound. I'm not a big fan of him. It's personality actually, and the way that he moves his face as he sings. He just rubs me the wrong way in his interviews, but he does a nice job with the song. He is a throwback to the Motown era. Randy said that it was all right and that it was shaky at the beginning, but that Gedeon is an old soul, and it was a nice way to start the show. Paula thought that he was unique and a throwback to the old style. She also thinks that Gedeon is a true showman. Simon thinks that Gedeon is quite odd and asks about Gedeon's painting. Simon says that he likes Gedeon because he is interesting and Gedeon is growing on him. Gedeon picked the song for the lots of women in his life--and he meant mom and grandmother.
Chris Daughtry, my favorite, is up next. Chris is quite a hotty. Chris used to have alot of hair, and shaved his head because he started to lose his hair. As he said, he planned on keeping it that way because he really liked. Chris sang a ballad. He has a nice rocker's voice. I wasn't very impressed with the song at first, but then he started rocking it. I think that the song title was Broken. It was a nice job though. The guy should definitely get a contract. Randy said that he's a fan. Randy thinks that Chris knows where his voice is. He thought it was another good job and a good performance. Paula said that regardless of what happens, she thinks that Chris will be selling out stadiums. She tells him to stay true to who he is, and that he will do well. Now for Simon. He wasn't as impressed with the song and thought that it was a boring song and that it was abit indulgent for Chris to sing it. Simon warns Chris to not take it too seriously and that it might be one of those songs that might not be remembered at the end of the show. Randy and Paula said that he was great. Chris said that he has been doing this since he was 17 and just wants to show America what he has been doing. My man! Kevin Covais is up next and sing Starry, Starry Night. I think that Kevin's voice sounds weak and shaky in bits of the song. Randy didn't like the song choice, but thought that it was a very nice performance. Paula said that she has nothing but love for him, and that ballads are the ticket for Kevin. Simon said that he liked it the way that you love watching puppies play. Simon thinks that Kevin will have the granny vote, but it was very juvenile. Simon thought that it was more like 11, although he said he wasn't being cruel. Ryan Seacrest said that he had a dream about Simon and Simon replied that didn't surprise him. Simon didn't play along with Ryan saying that Simon should give Kevin constructive criticism.
Bucky Covington has a twin brother back home called Rocky. It was surprising to see the picture of the two of them. Bucky sings a country song. It was not a bad job. So far, none of the guys have been really bad. Bucky is another singer with a raspy sounding voice. He does a nice job with the song in my opinion. Randy said that the thing he likes about the boys is that they know who they are. He thinks the song is just like Bucky, country rocker. He liked it. Paula thought that it was unpretensious and that it was raw untapped talent. Simon thought that it was okay and thought that it was adequate and that you could hear similar things in a bar. Bucky's twin comes up on stage, and it is amazing how much they look alike.
Will Makar decides to sing a James Taylor song. I love James Taylor. It seems that Will has learned how to speak Japanese. Will sings How Sweet it is. I think that he does a weak job with the song. At some points he seemed to be not in the same place as the music. I was under impressed. Will has my vote to go this week. Randy said that it wasn't good for him. He thought it was a bad karaoke version. Paula, of course, totally disagreed. Paula thought that Will did a great job. Simon said that all she can say is that Paula must have been starved for entertainment. He said it was average, nothing distinct, nothing good. I agree with Randy and Simon. The performance was sub-par and will lead to Will leaving this week.
Taylor Hicks sang Taking it to the Streets. Taylor really performs the song, but I don't think that the song is his best choice. He just hypers himself through it though and gives an entertaining performance that results in the audience going wild. Randy said that it was a great song choice, and although it wasn't the best of his singing, he thought that he did okay with it. Paula said it was her favorite performance by him and that she is blown away. As she said, Taylor is having so much fun out there. Simon really loved the song and said that it's about standing out and Taylor stood out and it was the best performance so far. Simon also said that Taylor may have killed the video clip for music because Taylor had a radio only performance. That statement was because of Taylor's kinetic dancing. Elliott Yamin has 90% hearing loss in his right ear, but that folks shouldn't feel bad for him. He just sucks at the telephone game. So do I. Taylor sings Heaven. I wasn't very impressed. I like Elliot, but there were some pitchy moments in the song. I thought that it was one of Elliott's weakest moments. It was okay, but definitely had problems. Randy said that he looks forward to hearing Elliott every time, and that he would make a record with Elliott tonight. Paula said that Elliott is phenomenal and amazing and that the hearing loss adds to it. Paula is teary eyed and knocks over her drink saying she is beside herself. Simon thought that the song was a cop out for Elliott and thought that there was a disconnect and that Elliott didn't seem to be at ease. Simon didn't think Elliott was at his best. I agree with Simon. I like Elliott too, and won't vote him out based on this one performance.
Ace Young finishes with a Michael Jackson song. The song is awful! He tries to sing in a falsetto, and just slaughters the song. Some girls start to squeal. I don't know why because I think that I have heard cats who sounded better while getting a bath. It was a very bad choice and the song was poorly done in my opinion. I think that Ace is going on the cute factor and thinking that his cow's eyes (blank stare) will get him somewhere. Randy thought that Ace pulled it off and it was hot. Paula thought he did an incredible job and this the falsetto was incredible. Simon thought that Ace made that work, but that there were parts of the vocal that were not that great. I don't know why they went for it because I think that it was the worst performance of the evening!
So who would I vote off with the men? I would vote off Ace Young and Will Makar. I thought Ace was the worst with Will a close second. However, I think that folks who are taken in by facade will not vote Ace off. There are superficial women out there who are just wowed by Ace's cow's eyes. So it will probably be Will Makar and Kevin Covais who are voted off.
Tuesday, March 7, 2006 -- Late Evening
Tonight the women were singing on American Idol. First up was Paris Bennett. We find out that Paris is a tomboy with a nickname of Princess P. She choose to sing Conga by Gloria Estefan. I wasn't very impressed with the Paris' voice on this song, but she really got into it. Randy thought that it was an interesting song choice, and he thought that Paris should challenge herself. Randy liked it and was entertained and hoped for a ballad next week. Paula sais that she was surprised by Paris' melodic choices. Simon said that she was glad that Paris chose a younger song. Simon said that he thought Paris was suffering from nerves and that although her voice was only okay, he is sure that she will be back. I would give the voting numbers, but it is over as I watch a recording of the show.Lisa Tucker is up next and Tiffany Taylor's Where I Stand. Lisa plays electric guitar because of her love of Jimmy Hendrix. Lisa looks different with her hair long and very straight. I think that she does a nice job with the song although you can hear some nerves in some of the notes that she hits. However, overall, it is a very nice and impressive job. She puts some really nice emotion into the song. Very nice job. Randy said that he liked the song but that he thought it was older for her. Randy would have liked her to slay the song, and thought it was just all right. Paula said that she sees Lisa as a seasoned performer. She hoped that Lisa sang a song they could all get into but thought that it was great for a 16 year old. Simon said that obviously Lisa is super talented, but that the song choice seems to be like a selection from her mom. Simon hopes that she will go on to the next round. I think that she will. Melissa McGhee sings What About Love. The song was a good rocking song. There was something weird going on with the voice. I don't know if she was being drowned out by the background singers, but it was okay. Randy thought the song choice was good for her, and that Melissa sounded like Ann Wilson. Paula said that Melissa was a powerhouse. Simon totally disagreed. He thinks that last note booked her ticket home. He thinks that Melissa shouted the song, and that she just bought her plane ticket home. I think Simon got it right this time. My boyfriend hated her singing and said that he thought her voice was just like someone shouting.
Katharine McPhee was asked about rumors that are abounding about her. She denied rumors that she was leaving the show or that she is pregnant. Kinnick Sky is up next. I didn't catch the song that she sang, but she did a really bad job with it. Her voice just sounded out of tune. I think that the song was a bad choice for her. It will be interesting to hear what the judges say because there are some pitchy problems. She looks like she knew there were problems when she was done. Randy loved the song and thought it sounded good at the beginning but that it got sharp somewhere in there and got out of control. Paula thought that Kinnik looked amazing, but thought Kinnik was off with her pitch and stayed with it the whole song. Simon said that Kinnik messed it up and that midway through it was really appauling. Paula couldn't see to even find anything good. Simon thought that Kinnik booked her plane ticket home. Kinnik admitted that she lost it there and couldn't get it back. Kinnik promises to only be sharp in her dressing if she gets to stay until next week.
Now Katharine McPhee is up. She went to the Boston Conservatory. Katharine chose another song that I don't think suited her voice very well. She sang Think and all I could think was that she was not Aretha Franklin. Katharine did rock to the song. I think that she is safe because of Melissa and Kinnik stinking up the stage. Randy said that Katharine was a hot one. He thought it was very nice. Paula said that it was nice to see Katharine cut loose, and that Katharine knows what she possesses. Simon said that it was a risk, but that Katharine pulled it off and made it seem effortless. Katharine just wanted to have fun and she did have fun.
Ayla Brown was convinced her dad was Elvis when she was a kid. She was disappointed to find out her dad wasn't Elvis. Well, Ayla wants to compete with Melissa and Kinnik. The song is a bad choice, and the beginning is weak and pitchy. She picks it up in the middle, but I think that her voice is lost in the song. The question is if she will get votes because she is nicer looking than Melissa. Randy said that he likes her, but that the song was okay. Randy suggested being cautious because the song wasn't a singer's song. He thought it was all right. Paula wanted to give her credit because Ayla works her butt off. Paula thought that Ayla rose to the challenge of singing a contemporary song that is on the radio now. Simon thought that the song was pretty good. He would love to see the young person in the film clips on the stage. He said that it was good, but not fantastic. He thinks that Ayla needs to be "younger." Mandisa is going to sing Chaka Khan. It seems that Mandisa sucked her thumb until she was 24. Interesting. Mandisa sings I'm Every Woman. Mandisa has the perfect voice for the song, and she struts it while singing this song. The whole stage is rocking. It was the best performance of the evening! Randy was saying wow. Randy said that you never know who is going to rise to the occasion. Randy said it was the best performance for the females this season. Paula said that Mandisa owned the song and sounded amazing. Simon said that everyone of the girls hate her guts because she made everyone else look ordinary and that Mandisa was completely in another league and that it was brilliant. Mandisa said she can't imagine the number of times she sang the song in her shower. Mandisa deserves a record deal--regardless of her finish on American Idol.
Last is Kellie Pickler. She loves dog and is missing her dog, Comet. She sings Only One. She does a nice job on the verses, but not at the beginning. Randy said that Kellie has been country and made a good choice with this song. Paula says that guys are in love with Kellie because she is adorable. Simon said that Kellie is what is known as a naughty little minx. He says he really likes Kellie. He doesn't think that she is the best singer, but that he prefers her to last year's winner. I think that it is because Kellie has that cute, adorable, naive personality. She is adorable. It's like a country girl brought to the big city.
So who will be voted off on Thursday? I think that Kinnik Sky will get the fewest votes. Then I think that Melissa McGhee will have the second lowest with Ayla Brown battling for third lowest. However, I think that it will definitely be Kinnik and Melissa who will be leaving.
Thursday, March 2, 2006 -- Evening
Over 42 million people voted this week for their favorite contestant on American Idol. I dislike how they drag things out over the whole voting process. So I'm just going to cut to the chase and say who is out. First, however, Carrie Underwood was on the show and sang a song. She did a very nice job, and actually sounded like a professional singer. It was an impressive performance. For the women, the bottom three vote getters were Kinnik Sky, Brenna Gethers, and Heather Cox. Brenna had the lowest number of votes. Heather has the second lowest number of votes. Now on to the guys. The three guys with the lowest number of votes are Jose "Sway" Penala, David Radford, and Kevin Covais. David Radford got the lowest number of votes. Next to the bottom was Sway. Ryan Seacrest had asked Simon Cowell who had the second lowest for the female and male, and Simon got it right both times.Wednesday, March 1, 2006 -- Late Evening
Tonight had the men singing on American Idol. Since I just started to watch as the time to vote had ended, I won't list the numbers to call. After all, the opportunity is past. First up is Taylor Hicks singing Easy by the Commodores. Taylor has to be one of my favorites in this competition. There's something about his energy. Also, he is a good singer and seems to know how to pick songs that fit his voice and style. He does a very nice job with Easy. Bo Bice was in the audience applauding him. Randy said that it wasn't his best performance of Taylor's, but he really loves that whole thing about him. As Paula calls it, that whole Taylor Hicks thing. Paula agrees that it wasn't her favorite choice. Simon said that it didn't work for him either because of song choice. Simon said that it was a really average performance. Paula said that Simon is mean. One thing that does annoy me is Taylor saying "Whoo" too many times.Elliott Yamin is next. Elliott's mom was sick and hospitalized while he was competing in LA. She is better now, fortunately. He sang Moody's Mood for Love. I don't know the song that Elliott picked, but it really suited his voice. It was a jazzy song that had alot of rhythm and melody. It was a really nice job and a good performance. Paula was bouncing in her seat after Elliott sang, applauding him. Randy said that everytime he sees Elliott, he has enjoyed him. Randy said that he has a gift for music, and gives Elliott a standing ovation. Randy called it brilliant and said that Elliott was a hot one. Paula said it was brilliant and she can't wait to see how he tops that. Simon said that Elliott has grown in confidence. Simon tells Elliott that he can't win with a song like that, but it was a great performance. It was too!
Ace Young is singing If I'm Not Made for You. Ace carries a beanie cap with him all the time, and it can be seen hanging from his back pocket. I'm not a big Ace fan. I have some friends who think he is so hot, but I think Ace is missing a flash in his eyes--they look like blank, cow's eyes to me. Gosh was the song awful today. His voice was pitchy and he was really off with a high pitched section. It put goosebumps on my neck. I thought it was a poor performance. Randy thinks the song shows Ace's range. Randy thinks that Ace sings better than he lets on, and tells Ace to sing harder songs. Paula thought that it was another good week and that it was a great song selection. Paula thinks Ace is better than he thinks he is. Simon thinks that Ace struggled with the song, and he didn't think that Ace sang that song very well. Simon again calls Randy and Paula Mozart and Beethoven. Simon thinks that Ace will be disappointed with the vote from the home viewers. Ace said that his voice is tired today and he can see Simon's point, but he is glad he sang the song. Gedeon McKinney is up next and singing Change is Goin' a Come. I don't like Gedeon. He has an annoying personality, and his eyes are too close together. However, I think he did a decent job with the song. I think the song was perfect for him and his voice. Randy said that Gedeon is a performer, abit pitchy in the beginning, but then he really picked it up at the end. Gedeon is only 18, and Randy is impressed with the song that he picked. Paula tells Gedeon that he is unique and smart with his selections, and thinks Gedeon is awesome. Simon said that he doesn' know what to make of Gedeon, but that he thinks that Barry Gordy would have grabbed onto Gedeon 30 to 40 years ago. Simon thought that it was a very, very good performance. Simon said that he thought Gedeon sounded authentic, not like Sam Cooke, but authentic for Gedeon.
Kevin Covais is going to sing Marvin Gaye's I Heard it Through the Grapevine. It seems that Kevin is getting e-mails from 12 and 13 year olds, and it's like he is a sex symbol. The kid is a cutie. I think that he does an okay job with the song. Not the best of choices, but Kevin is trying to show a rocking, souly side. The girls all love him, and obviously Paula does too. Randy really throughly enjoyed the song. Randy said that Kevin can sing. It's a good job according to Randy. Paula said that Kevin is infectious and she loves his performance and watching his parents. Simon says "it really is La-La land." Simon said that Kevin is really likeable, but that if he heard it on the radio, he would have turned it off. Simon said that he does like him. As Simon said, it's not the best version of the song that he heard, and he would just like to put some reality into the show. Ryan Seacrest then says that he found Kevin's twin and shows a picture of Chicken Little.
Jose "Sway" Penala sings Overjoyed by Stevie Wonder. His voice is pitchy in some sections, but I can see why he picked the song because it does suit his voice in a way. He doesn't do a great job, but it is okay. Randy said that the song wasn't as good as last week, and that singing a Stevie Wonder song, you have to be unbelieveable. Paula thought that Sway seemed alittle disconnected and that Sway wasn't in the zone. Paula thinks Sway has alot of talent. Simon said that the song was nothing but pure karaoke. Sway tries to take the route of saying that he is abit out of sorts, but admits that it is probably just a wrong song choice.
Will Makar sings Lady by Kenny Rogers. Surprisingly, I was thinking that he would suck with this song, but I thought that he actually did a nice job with it. He has a nice deep voice that suited the song. Not bad, especially since he is 16. Randy says that Will has to find a way to show that he is amazing and that wasn't it. Paula thinks that Will has a good tone and it showed in the song, but it was too safe. Simon said that it was like an audition for Cats. Simon said that Will's target audience of 11 year old girls will love that. Randy advises Will to get the song that he sings best, throw down, and loosen up.
Bucky Covington is next and he is going to sing Garth Brooks. The song is Thunder Rolls, but Bucky does have the country sounding voice. There are parts where Bucky sounds alittle pitchy, but I think that the song suits him. Randy said that this was a good song choice for Bucky with a couple of pitch problems but it was a Bucky song. Paula thinks that Bucky is finding his place in the competition and that he did a real good job. Simon said that he likes Bucky because he is a real sincere guy. His only problem is that Bucky comes across as a support act for one of the stars of the show. Randy and Paula don't agree. Next is David Radford. He returns to singing Frank Sinatra with The Way You Look Tonight. The kid really does sound like Sinatra. Some pitchiness, and some nerves. What will the judges say? Randy said that the good thing was that David stayed in his comfort zone, but that it was boring. Paula thought that he has performed other songs better and that he didn't connect with the band. Simon agrees that David didn't connect with the band, and that David seemed nervous and uncomfortable. David tells Ryan that he wasn't nervous or uncomfortable, but that's how it came across.
My favorite, Chris Daughtry, is last. He is going to sing Fuel's Hemorrhage. He does a great job and the song really suits his voice. He puts on the emotion and really makes a connection with the audience. He is a rocker, and does a great job. Best of the evening! Randy said that he loved it. It was the right song choice and that song and performance could be right on the radio and on the charts right now. Paula asks Chris if he knows how good he is. Chris says "only when you tell me." Paula said that it was a magic moment on American Idol. Simon tells everyone that it was the only real and good performance in the whole night and that Chris stands by himself tonight. I agree. It sounded like a professional effort--not an amateurish one.
Best of the night was Chris by a long shot. Two worst, actually three worst, are Sway, Ace and David. Whichever of those three go would be okay. I think that Ace won't get voted out because of people like my friend who think he is "so hot" when he is just average with long hair. Who will be voted out? We'll find out tomorrow.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006 -- Evening
Vote for your favorite female idol
| Katharine McPhee |
1-866-IDOLS 01 Cingular: text "vote" to 5701 |
Kinnik Sky |
1-866-IDOLS 02 Cingular: text "vote" to 5702 |
Lisa Tucker |
1-866-IDOLS 03 Cingular: text "vote" to 5703 |
| Melissa McGhee |
1-866-IDOLS 04 Cingular: text "vote" to 5704 |
Heather Cox |
1-866-IDOLS 05 Cingular: text "vote" to 5705 |
Brenna Gethers |
1-866-IDOLS 06 Cingular: text "vote" to 5706 |
| Paris Bennett |
1-866-IDOLS 07 Cingular: text "vote" to 5707 |
Ayla Brown |
1-866-IDOLS 08 Cingular: text "vote" to 5708 |
Kellie Pickler |
1-866-IDOLS 09 Cingular: text "vote" to 5709 |
| Mandisa |
1-866-IDOLS 10 Cingular: text "vote" to 5710 |
The women are going to be singing today on American Idol with two being eliminated on Thursday. Katharine McPhee was up first, and her voice sounded like two female cats tied up in a pillow case and fighting. It was poor screetching in my opinion. It was an awful rendition of a Stevie Nicks song. Randy thought that it was a safe choice and although it wasn't her best performance, Randy thought it was okay, then just okay. Paula agreed with Randy and said that it wasn't a good song choice, but called Katharine brilliant. Simon said that it is about personality and right song choice and not just singing. Simon reminded her that she just can't be off on stage singing to herself. He said that it was definitely not her best choice. All three seem to be in agreement. Paula yelled out that Katharine is still a star.
Kinnik Sky is up next singing a country song. I think that Kinnik did a nice job. She was performing. Singing well and enjoying herself. She had the audience on its feet. A nice performance. Randy enjoyed that Kinnik had the energy, but didn't think that it was a good song for Kinnik because it didn't show her vocal range. Paula agreed that it was fun to see her performing, but should pick a song to show her range. Simon said that it was like a theme park entertainer. Simon said it was nice, but you don't think of the person doing more than that.
Lisa Tucker is up next. She talks about her earlier years performing in the Lion King. She sang a sultry song, and I think that the song showcased her vocals well. I don't know if she should have chosen the song because there were maybe a few pitchy seconds, but all in all, it was good. Randy also said that the song choice was not a good one for her because it didn't show off her voice very well. Paula disagrees with her and says that Lisa is an amazing performer and says that Lisa is a star. Second star of three performers. Simon tells Lisa that she has to be smart about not coming across as a very young girl singing grown up songs, but said that Lisa will sail through. The song was a Jackson 5 song that I never heard before. Melissa McGhee is up next. She talks about being a Florida girl and loving flipflops. The song grew on me as she was singing it. At first I thought it was a poor choice, but it suited her raspy voice and it was abit of a rocker. Randy told her that the song fit her and it was a perfect song for her, and loved the return of her smokey voice. Paula said that each week Melissa is coming out of her shell, and Paula loves Melissa's tone. Simon says that he loves her voice but thought it was the wrong song. Simon doesn't think that she is making a connection yet with the audience. Then Simon tells Paula to shut up because she is annoying him and calls Paula a precocious child and tells her enough. Simon doesn't think that anyone will remember the song.
Heather Cox is up next. She is going to sing Hero by Mariah Carey. Unfortunately for Heather she is not Mariah. It wasn't a bad performance although the way she moves her face, especially her mouth and eyes while she sings is really sort of scary. I couldn't get past fixating on that. Pitchy voice at times too even though she holds a note for a long time. Paula is up first and thinks it was an improvement over last week. Paula reminds her that singing a Mariah song might have folks compare her to Mariah and Heather's voice isn't like Mariah. Randy was under impressed and he works with Mariah. Randy said that if you pick a song by a stylized singer you will pale in comparison. Simon said that Paula and Randy made sense and that it was like one of those horrible moments when someone sings Mariah at a pagent. Randy agrees with Simon. Anyone who claims to rewatch the show over and over would know not to sing Mariah. At the end, Heather said that she enjoyed herself. She just didn't get it.
Brenna Gethers is next up singing Donna Summer's Last Dance the karaoke anthem and my favorite song. Talk about bad choices because it's like karaoke night at the bar. She is not a Donna Summer and although the song is a good one, it's karaoke night revisited. Paula is speechless and says that she doesn't see the magic in Brenna. Brenna thinks that America loved it and that she did wonderful and that it will show in the votes. Randy said that Brenna is like Simon because she never thinks she does anything bad. Randy said that it just wasn't there with the voice and the performance. Simon said that everyone has been in a bar where someone murders a Donna Summer song. Simon said that it is something that he hears in a bar and leaves. Randy says that Simon is right. Brenna is tone deaf and thinks that she did a great job. Simon is saying it should be Last Chance for Brenna. I hope that no one votes for Brenna because she is so darned annoying and obnoxious!
Next up is Paris Bennett. She tells us before the song that she loves change and fashion. Fashion shows her personality. Paris chooses a Bette Midler song, Wind Beneath My Wings. Although Paris can sing, I think that the song isn't right for her voice. But then towards the end, she really started to belt it out. I just don't think it was quite right. Paula said that Paris is a young one who blows the others away, but that she should remind people that she is young. Randy said that Paris can sing. Randy agrees with Paula and said that she wants to see Paris sing something young and modern. Simon said that Paris has to avoid being 17 and sounding 50. Simon said that everything about Paris was like she was a little old lady. Everyone knows she can sing, but she needs to be young. Paris said she chose it because her great grandmother likes the song, and Simon told her that she had it there in a nutshell. Go young Paris!
Ayla Brown is up next and she sings a countryish song that I don't recognize. I think that she is giving the best performance of the evening. It shows off her voice. She does a good job with the song and make a good choice. Paula said that she thinks that Ayla wants to win really bad because Ayla is growing and surprising her. Paula said that it was a great song choice. Randy said that he liked the back story of Ayla being a tomboy and not knowing about makeup. Randy said that he liked it and that it was an all around good package. Simon said that Ayla reminds him of a girl who always gets As in everything. Simon said that Ayla is working hard and growing every week. Simon says that sometimes he wants rawness. He thinks that it is abit mechanical and that she just needs abit more. Ayla did a good job though. Now it is Kellie Pickler's turn singing a Bonnie Raitt song Let's Give Them Something to Talk About. It's a nice song and I can see why she chose it, but it just doesn't seem right either. She tries to put alot of emotion in it, but I get the feeling that her tempo is off or something. It's okay, but doesn't wow me. Paula said that Kellie is adorable and unpretentious and says that Kellie picked a good song for her and her vocals. Randy said that they have a hot one tonight and that Kellie did her thing and picked the right song. Simon said that you just can't just help but like Kellie. Simon said that if he wasn't looking at her and didn't know her, he would say the vocals aren't all that. But Kellie is just cute and adorable and sweet.
Mandisa is the last person to sing. It seems that Mandisa is a practical joker. Another bad song choice. I don't think that it does a good job of showing off her voice. At least at the beginning, but then she just starts belting it out. The girl does have a set of pipes on her. I would say that this is one of the best performances of the evening. Paula says that Mandisa is one of a kind and has a remarkable vocal range and puts her own flavor in the songs she choses. Paula said that Mandisa is wowing her. Randy said that it started abit shaky. He wasn't thrilled with the song choice but thought that she has the vocals. Randy wants to see Mandisa throwing it down every night. Mandisa says if America keeps her around she is getting started. Simon thinks that America will keep her around, and said that she hasn't come out yet and totally nailed it. But Simon said that when she is on it, he thinks that Mandisa is the best in the females. Paula is right, Mandisa has a very pretty face and I think that she is my favorite.
I would vote off Katharine McPhee, Heather Cox, and Brenna. That's three, but it's a toss up between Katharine and Heather. I hope that America agrees about voting off Brenna.
Thursday, February 23, 2006 -- Evening
It's now time for the vote off of four contestants on American Idol. I think that this show gets dragged out beyond all proportion. After all, does it take a whole hour to let us know which four are out? They go through a whole discussion with the judges about bringing it to the show and singing good every time. Then we get a group sing of Take it Easy. Surprisingly, they don't do such a bad job with the song. I know that in the past the group sing has been pretty bad. This was actually not painful to the ears.Now we get some recaps of the previous two nights. How they drag it out! 15 minutes of fluff have passed by. They have the back row of girls stand. None of them had the lowest number of votes so it is on to the bottom row. In the front are Heather, Stevie, Melissa, Kinnik, Becky, and Brenna. Heather, Stevie and Melissa are pulled out so now it is Kinnik, Becky, and Brenna. A commercial break to drag it out even more. The person with the lowest number of votes was Becky. Simon tells Becky that she will be a very successful model because she is a cute girl. Becky then thanks everyone at American Idol. Then she gets to sing her song from Tuesday.
Now is it on to the guys. Again, the back row of men is safe. In the front row, Ace and Elliott are safe. Kevin and Chris are safe. It is down to Bobby and Sway. Bobby is voted out with the lowest number of votes.
Now it is on to the girl with the second lowest number of votes. The back row is safe again. In the front, Brenna and Kinnik are safe. Melissa is safe. It is now down to Stevie and Heather. Stevie has the second lowest number of votes. Paula and Randy tell her it was just the wrong song. Even Simon said that she just got it wrong. As for the guy with the second lowest number of votes, the front row is safe, which means it is the back row this time. It's down to Bucky and Patrick. Patrick is the person who will be leaving.
Quick recap: Lowest votes were Becky O'Donohue and Bobby Bennett. Second lowest votes were Stevie Scott and Patrick Hall.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006 -- Evening
Vote for your favorite male idol
| Patrick Hall |
1-866-IDOLS 01 Cingular: text "vote" to 5701 |
David Radford |
1-866-IDOLS 02 Cingular: text "vote" to 5702 |
Bucky Covington |
1-866-IDOLS 03 Cingular: text "vote" to 5703 |
| Will Makar |
1-866-IDOLS 04 Cingular: text "vote" to 5704 |
Jose "Sway" Penala |
1-866-IDOLS 05 Cingular: text "vote" to 5705 |
Chris Daughtry |
1-866-IDOLS 06 Cingular: text "vote" to 5706 |
| Kevin Covais |
1-866-IDOLS 07 Cingular: text "vote" to 5707 |
Gedeon McKinney |
1-866-IDOLS 08 Cingular: text "vote" to 5708 |
Elliott Yamin |
1-866-IDOLS 09 Cingular: text "vote" to 5709 |
| Bobby Bennett |
1-866-IDOLS 10 Cingular: text "vote" to 5710 |
Ace Young |
1-866-IDOLS 11 Cingular: text "vote" to 5711 |
Taylor Hicks |
1-866-IDOLS 12 Cingular: text "vote" to 5712 |
Today the men are competing on American Idol. First up is Patrick Hall. He sings the Melissa Etheridge song Come to My Window. Patrick's voice is not bad, but I think that is overpowered by the song. Not a bad job, but not groundbreaking. Randy said that Patrick is a performer. Randy thought that it was rough with some pitchy spots. Randy basically thought that it was all right, but not Patrick's best. Paula tells him to stick to what he does best, and this obviously wasn't. As Simon then states, "what Paula is trying to say is that this was a horrible choice". Simon thought that Patrick looked uncomfortable and that the song was a poor choice. As Simon reminds all of them, including the other judges is that Patrick is going to be judged on his performance tonight. Patrick is going to stick to his ballads in future. David Radford is also breaking from his roots. He is great at crooning like Frank Sinatra, but chooses Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Again, it isn't the best of choices for him. Imagine Sinatra singing the song, and you get the idea of what it was like. It's obvious that Radford has the performer in him, but the song was a bad choice. The audience applauds wildly for him. Randy said that it was like a high school performance. Randy thought that it was terrible, and that he was back at the auditions. Randy didn't think the voice was good and that the pitch changed around alot. Paula didn't think it was horrible and said that David had an incredible amount of charisma. Simon said that the reason they liked David was because of his crooning. Simon didn't think the song was a good choice, but that the people at home would like David. The advice is for David to stick what he does best. Will they ever learn? Folks are always wanting to show they can do something other than the stuff that makes them what they are. That's always a mistake. Be true to yourself.
Bucky Covington sticks to a rock song that accentuates his rough, craggy rocker's voice. His voice is abit pitchy at times, but he manages to get away with it. He does a nice job with the song, and should continue on to the next round. So far, the men aren't impressing me as much as the women did yesterday. Randy said that he likes the Bucky is keeping true to his southern rock roots. Randy thought that he was stretching his voice abit much at times. Paula agreed with the roughness and that he is still growing. Simon liked the fact that Bucky is fairly raw. Simon then says that there are thousands of bars across America where you would find people like Bucky singing at those bars.
Next up is 16 year old Will Makar. He chooses I Want You Back by the Jackson 5. Again, I don't think that it is a very good song choice. It looks like an adult Donny Osmond trying to jive. Will might have done better by choosing Puppy Love. Randy said that he likes Will, and thought he was trying to do his thing. Randy said that he was entertained. Paula thought that he was adorable and that every high school girl will have the hots for him. Paula also said that Will reminds her of Bobby Brady. Simon gives the reality check. He says that Will is nice looking and charming, but that the vocals were average. Simon is right. If you closed your eyes and listened to the voice, Will's voice is average. As Randy said, at least the kid was in tune. Jose "Sway" Penala gets the chance to wow us. He sings an Earth, Wind and Fire song. He has a quaky falsetto voice. Sway has the whole pimp look going on, and the falsetto really doesn't suit him. I couldn't tell if it was a girl or guy singing. The audience really seemed to like him. Paula gave him a standing ovation. Randy said that Sway was a hot one. Randy thought that he should originality and range by singing in the falsetto. Paula thought that he nailed it and deserved to be on the stage. Simon said they are really on different pages. Simon agreed with me and said that it was a really pimpy performance. Simon and I are very much alike it appears.
Chris Daughtery sings Bon Jovi Wanted Dead or Alive. It's an interesting choice. It is perfect for his voice. Chris has the Jon Bon Jovi sound. His bald head is quite sexy too--he exudes that animal magnetism. The background singer for Chris really sucked, but I think that Chris did a good job. Paula gave him a serious standing ovation. Randy thought that Chris did a very good job and thought it was the bomb. Randy thinks Chris has a great recording voice. Paula doesn't know where to begin because she has been wowed by him from the beginning. As she said it is even the way he stands. It's the animal magnetism. Simon thought it was a very good choice of song, and thinks that this is the first time this evening when he heard something good. Simon said that Chris has to build some charisma because he has a great recording voice.
Kevin Covais is the youngest contestant in the competition. He's singing One Last Cry by Brian McKnight. Kevin decides to sing a ballad. He started out a tad pitchy, but then warmed up abit. It's hard to get over his look when you watch him. He has a deep strong voice for someone who looks so geeky and weakly. I think that he's a grandma's favorite. Randy said that he really likes Kevin and says that Kevin is honestly talented and honest to himself. Randy said that it was the bomb. Paula said that the way she feels about Kevin is "squish". She says that she is very proud of Kevin and that he is an awesome kid. Simon apologizes to America and says that it would appeal to anyone over the age of 90 with blue hair. Simon said that vocally it was verging on excruciating. Paula says Simon is wrong and that Kevin has a wide fan base. It's interesting because so far, Simon and I have been agreeing. Kevin is sent into the arms of the female contestants who all start to pinch his cheeks.
Gedeon McKinney sings Shout!. Gedeon is a very arrogrant person, and thinks Shout! is something he can sing and perform. For someone who is performing the song, he isn't putting alot of energy into it. He is mostly voguing for the camera. Gedeon does a decent job with with song, but I don't think he really brings the audience to its feet. Randy thought it was good and unexpected. Randy liked the song choice and thought that Gedeon sang in tune, and said that he was almost ready to jump up. Paula said that she did jump up and thought that it was unique and marvelous. Simon thought that it was the warmup for the Chippendales. Paula said that Simon was wrong and Simon said that was her opinion. Also, Simon said that Gedeon's smile bothers him. I'm not a big Gedeon fan either.
Elliott Yamin is up next. He sings Stevie Wonder's song If You Really Love. He has a Stevie Wonder sound. He starts out sounding somewhat pitchy. He doesn't do a bad job, and in comparison to the others is probably the second best after Chris Daughtery. Randy thought that Elliott was another hot one and that Elliott really has it, and Randy loved it. Paula really loves how effortless it was for Elliott. Simon, the voice of reason, said that in five seasons, Elliott is potentially the best male vocalist they have ever had. Elliott is speechless after Simon gives him praise. Next is Bobby Bennett. He is the weirdest looking of them all, even more weird than Kevin Covais. He is singing Copacabana by Barry Manilow for his grandmother. She loved the song and made Bobby promise to sing the song if he ever made it. Bobby had the worst sounding voice, worst look with a black shirt, suit jacket and white t-shirt. Bobby has alot of energy, but that doesn't make up for a weird performance and bad voice. I would say his is the worst of the evening so far. Randy said it's like watching someone for a whole different era. Randy likes him, but thought vocally that song was not that great. Randy did say that it is a performing type song, but the vocals were just okay. Paula loved the entertainment value and the fact that Bobby commits 100%. Simon says that he likes Bobby but that it was a complete nightmare. Simon said that there must be people watching who think they are off their rockers about having Bobby sing. As Simon said, he is with Randy on the entertainment part, but horror flicks entertain him.
Ace Young is next. He has the long haired, Constantine look. He sings George Michael's Father Figure. Once he starts singing it, I am reminded of George Michael and I'm not sure that is a good thing. He is obviously going with the hope to wow the female audience with his sex appeal. For some reason, he turns me off, and I think that his eyes lack all sex appeal. He does an okay job. Randy was laughing while Ace was performing and said that Ace is a star by working the camera. Randy thinks he has it going on, and that Ace really can sing. I'm not as impressed as Randy is though. Paula says that he is a star, and seems overwhelmed with Ace's eyes. Simon said that Ace doesn't have the best vocals of the night, but thinks that Ace has the X factor. Simon thinks it was a brilliant choice of song and that Ace just needs to let go of the nerves. Ryan Seacrest has Ace give his look at the camera, and it does nothing for me. He's cutesy, but lacks that real sexy look, in my opinion.
Last up is Taylor Hicks. He sings Levon. I'm not sure that I liked the song, but Taylor has this unique sounding voice. I just don't think that the song was the best song to showcase his voice and talent. I like Taylor Hicks though. I think he has the likeability factor. Randy said that he loved Taylor since day one, but Randy didn't think that the song show Taylor's talent and voice. Randy says that he and Paula are Taylor's two biggest fans. Paula said that the passion Taylor has shows though. Simon reminds everyone that he said Taylor shouldn't make the finals, and says that he was wrong. Simon said that Taylor is interesting and just into the singing and absolutely loves it. Simon said that he has had more positive feedback on Taylor than anyone else in the show.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006 -- Evening
Vote for your favorite female idol
| Mandisa |
1-866-IDOLS 01 Cingular: text "vote" to 5701 |
Kellie Pickler |
1-866-IDOLS 02 Cingular: text "vote" to 5702 |
Becky O'Donohue |
1-866-IDOLS 03 Cingular: text "vote" to 5703 |
| Ayla Brown |
1-866-IDOLS 04 Cingular: text "vote" to 5704 |
Paris Bennett |
1-866-IDOLS 05 Cingular: text "vote" to 5705 |
Stevie Scott |
1-866-IDOLS 06 Cingular: text "vote" to 5706 |
| Brenna Gethers |
1-866-IDOLS 07 Cingular: text "vote" to 5707 |
Heather Cox |
1-866-IDOLS 08 Cingular: text "vote" to 5708 |
Melissa McGhee |
1-866-IDOLS 09 Cingular: text "vote" to 5709 |
| Lisa Tucker |
1-866-IDOLS 10 Cingular: text "vote" to 5710 |
Kinnik Sky |
1-866-IDOLS 11 Cingular: text "vote" to 5711 |
Katharine McPhee |
1-866-IDOLS 12 Cingular: text "vote" to 5712 |
Tonight was the night for the women to show their stuff on American Idol. Simon Cowell said that he has not been too obnoxious. After all, he is Simon, and he gives us what we expect.
Up first are Mandisa and Kellie Pickler. Mandisa did a nice job. She sang Never Run Away and did a really rocking job! Randy said that it was a great way to start the show, and that Mandisa might have overdone some bits. Paula thought that Mandisa was fantastic. Simon agreed that although it wasn't perfect that Mandisa has a great personality that shines through. Mandisa said that she and Simon have a relationship since she commented on being hurt by his comments about her weight. Kellie Pickler is going for a Martina McBride song. She is going for the country sound. The problem is that the music, especially at the beginning, drowned out her voice. Also, she seemed pitchy to me. I didn't think it was a very strong performance, but that might have been in comparison to Mandisa. Randy thought it was a good performance but that she seemed nervous and not hitting her notes correctly. Paula said that Kellie is unpretentious, pretty, and has a likeability factor. Paula tells Kellie not to lose herself in the verses. Simon agreed that Kellie has the likeability factor, and seems sincere and heartfelt. Simon also believes that she has the potential for a good voice. Kellie admitted that she is really nervous and glad to be there.
Becky O'Donohue says that she is so excited that she can't wait to get on the stage. She is going to sing Because the Night. Her voice was weak, and I think that the choice of song was bad for her. In fact, with the backup singers, there were many sections where her voice was drowned out. It wasn't obvious from this performance if she could actually sing. She was really out of key at the end. Randy said that he loved the performance. He said that although she didn't have the best voice, she was a performer. Paula said that Becky's magic is her charm, but that some notes were off. This elicted a boo, but Randy said that she was right. Simon said that it was slightly better than he expected. As Simon said, visually she is a 10, but vocally she is like a six or seven and the voice was really off on the final notes. Simon said, overall, it was just okay. Simon advised that she find her comfort zone and be her best, and with this song she was second best in comparison to the original singer.
Next is Ayla Brown. She is singing Reflection from Mulan. She did not do a good job at the beginning, but then built up as the song went on. Randy thought that Ayla did all right, and that it might not have been the easiest song to pick, but she did okay. Paula also said that she was pleasantly surprised. Simon said that there is a limit to how far her voice can go, and it was obvious with that song where the limits were. He did say it was one of her better performances. Next up is Paris Bennett. She is singing Leaving on a Jet Plane. She has such a deep husky voice and really works the stage. In my opinion, she is really impressive. Randy said that he was just blown away and that Paris was amazing in how someone at 17 can give such a performance. Paula called Paris a showman. Simon said that Paris showed everyone how to do it by not playing it safe and showing everyone how to do it. Simon said that she has the likeability shot and how to do a great job.
Stevie Scott is up next. I don't think that she is doing a very good job with her song. Her voice is on the weak side and very pitchy. The last thing that she needed to sing was a slow song. It was painful to listen to her sing. Randy's first words was that the song was really different. He said that the song was too soft, and he just sort of drifted off and stopped paying attention. He thought the falsetto was an interesting choice. Paula thought she did the right thing with the song. Simon said that he agrees with Randy, and thought that Stevie really messed it up. He said it was like being at a horrible Sunday lunch and having a child come up and singing out of tune. Simon said the song was a horrible mess. Stevie told the judges she will do better next time, but Simon said that it's up to American, and she's not going to please America with that song.
Brenna Gethers sang You are the Sunshine of My Life, and again, it was not that great job. The problem is the song choice. You don't pick a Stevie Wonder song unless you are Stevie Wonder, and she ain't Stevie. Randy said that it was a safe song, and didn't think much of the song and whether she really grabbed his attention. It was a bad choice. Paula said it was a safe song, and that a sensitive side was shown. Simon said that Brenna doesn't need to eat humble pie, because she is what she is. Simon said that the song was horrible. As Simon said, everything they liked about Brenna just evaporated. It seems that Brenna and Simon were both born on October 7 and as Ryan Seacrest says that may explain the similarity in their personalities.
Heather Cox was next. She picked another bad song, and it didn't suit her voice which was pitchy at points and seemed be rough sounding. She did have a few seconds of getting the audience behind her, but it sucked. Randy said that last time she had laryngitis, but this time she sounded boring. Randy thought it was pitchy and the key was too loud. Surprisingly, Paula agreed with Randy and did not think it was a great performance. Simon agreed that it was forgettable and horrible. Simon said that she just got it wrong by playing it safe, and her personality just evaporated. Heather said that her voice was 100%, and Simon said that she should have taken it as an excuse because her voice.
Melissa McGhee is in a battle for the worst singer in this group. Her song choice started out very with a slow melody that did not do her voice any justice. I didn't think much of her singing ability, but she picked up once the song started moving. I wouldn't put her at the very bottom, but I doubt that she will make it to the final six because there were parts that were out of tune. Randy said that it started rocky and that there were pitch problems. Randy said somewhere in the middle of the song she just picked it up. It was all right for him. Paula thought that it was a shining momemt for Melissa and that her sultry voice is a standout. Paula said that Melissa was amazing. Simon said that he is in the middle. Before tonight, Simon wouldn't have remember her, but thought that she did better than some of the other girls. Simon said that she was abit lifeless, and her eyes seemed lifeless. He hopes she makes it back. Lisa Tucker is up next. She sang Changing, and did a nice job. There were some off notes, but she performed and worked the song. It was a very nice job. Lisa got alot of hoots and applause. Randy thought that she chose the most ambitious songs of the night, and thought that Lisa worked it out. Paula called Lisa a precious, little gift. Lisa is amazing since she is only 16. Simon said that it is going her way this evening because she made the older girls not look too good. Simon thinks that folks will look back on this night as this is the night we met Lisa Tucker.
Kinnik Sky is up next. The one thing I kept on thinking when I watched her sing is that her face is all mouth. Her mouth just over powered her face in a negative way. Her voice was okay, but there was something missing. I think that she was trying to oversing everything, and had a few bum notes. Randy thought that the song choice was off and that the middle was not that great. Overall, he would give her a six. Paula, however, thought she was powerful and did well. Simon said that the problem with Kinnik was that there were some stunning performances from young girls. Simon said that someone who is 28, and did look regal, that it was just a cabaret performance. Simon said that Kinnik was overpowered by the younger girls. Kinnik said that she was surprised by Randy saying that she was a 6.
Last up is Katharine McPhee. She chose an old standard Since I Fell for You. She didn't do such a bad job. It was an interesting choice of songs. I don't think that her voice was always at its best, but she did perform with emotion. Katharine is a cute girl too, and used that to her advantage. Randy said they had another hot one. Randy thinks that she is a natural talent, and had it going on. Paula also thought that it was a great performance and that everything was fantastic. Simon thought that there were four good vocalists tonight and that Katharine was the best.
Who do I think should go? I think that Heather Cox and Stevie Scott should be the ones to go this week. Let's see if I am right. At the top of this section is the chart with phone numbers for each idol. Vote for your favorite. Tomorrow it will be the men's turn.
Sunday, February 19, 2006 -- Early Afternoon
The Olympics have not been doing well in the television ratings here in the US. American Idol has done alot better than the Olympics even in its fifth season. Simon Cowell thinks that it's because the Yanks don't do well in the Winter Olympics. As Cowell says, "Nobody wants to watch Swiss people doing well." Another reason why Idol might do better in the ratings is because someone who is unknown can make it to stardom.Wednesday, February 15, 2006 -- Evening
It is time for the elimination to the final 24 on American Idol. The show starts with a selection of people who aren't going to be making it to the next round. Crystal Stark thought that her best night was the last night when she sang acappella. Crystal, however, will not be going on to the next round. It seems there are alot of nos, and this is making the rest of the crowd nervous. The thing is that makes it easier for them to get through. Bobby Dillard is another no. Katharine McPhee was told that the first audition was her best, but the Hollywood auditions were not. Katharine starts crying because she thinks that she is not going to make it, but she does. Katharine gives them all a kiss on the lips and says that Randy's are some luscious lips. Katharine thinks it's so cool that she got to kiss them.Next up is Brett "Ace" Young, and the hardest part of the Hollywood week was deciding which song to sing for his final audition. Ace is through to the next round. The judges hand out more nos and Virginia thinks that it is all over for her and that she is done career-wise. Paula Abdul gives her a hug. Robert Bennett, Jr. is on to the next round. Mandisa Hundley is up next, and Simon had made jokes about needing a bigger stage during her audition. She makes a comment about not needing a bigger stage, but they could do with a bigger chair. Mandisa said that she was very hurt at the time, but that now she has forgiven Simon, and doesn't need an apology from him. Simon smiled and gave her a hug. Simon then said that he is sorry to tell Mandisa that she has to take more of him because she is continuing to the next round. Simon does apologize for his comments. Mandisa said that they must all be looking at her bottom as she is walking out.
Melissa McGee is through to the next round. Mark Adam Locklear is not going any further. Lisa Tucker said that her voice was not at its best by the final audition. Simon said that he was always concerned and worried about Lisa's age because she is 16. Elanora Tucker wants to wish the best for her daughter and that she makes it. And Lisa Tucker does make it. David Radford now goes to meet the judges. He's the one who has the Sinatra sound. He made it. Jose "Sway" Penala has made it to the next round. Elliot Yamin also makes it to the next round. Brenna Gathers is shown being mouthy with Simon during the auditions. Simon said that she is talented, but that she can be a nightmare and difficult to work with. Brenna is on to the next round. Simon said that he likes her, and he doesn't know why.
Marcy Smith is Brenna Gathers arch rival. It started because of the group sing when the two did not get along. Brenna didn't work with the group and then hogged the stage. Marcy has not made it to the final 12. Gedeon McKinney thinks that he is ready for American Idol and that he has IT. Gedeon did make it to the next round. Simon told him that he should get abit of confidence. After Gedeon left, Simon wished he had heard the speech before he voted because he would have turned Gedeon down. Next up is Stephanie Scott who admits to being nervous. Stephanie has made it through to the next round. Randy tells the others after she left that he didn't realize how tall Stephanie was. Ayla Brown, who plays college basketball, is up next. Ayla is through to the next round. Chris Daughtry got stuck in the elevator on his way up to find out what his fate was. They weren't sure how long Chris would be in the elevator and it must have been nerve wracking. It took six minutes for Chris to get there. He is going through to the next round.
Paris Bennett is keeping a list of who has made it. The judges were split on Rebecca O'Donohue, but she has made it through to the next round. Heather Cox and April Walsh are up next. April is not on to the next round. April leaves saying "on to the next audition." Heather Cox did make it to the next round. William "Bucky" Covington, complete with cowboy hat, goes on to the next round with his country sounding voice. Patrick Hall has also made it. Next up is Kevin Covais who looks extremely geeky, but has a nice voice. Simon admits that the judges had a difficult time with Kevin. He is on to the next round even though Simon said he is not the best of singers. There are only three places left for the girls and four girls still waiting. Paris Bennett is up next and thinks that she lost alittle bit of her charisma. However, she is on to the next round. She says that she has to go and tell her "mommy" and commands the elevator to hurry up.
Finally we are hearing something about the situation with the Brittenum twins. They claim that they have absolutely flawless behavior. We hear about Terrell being in jail and how Derrell is wanted for criminal charges for indenity theft. They aren't in the competition anymore. We knew that weeks ago. Kellie Pickler is up next. She has made it to the next round and seems shocked and unable to understand the news. She bought waterproof mascara right after her first audition. Meanwhile we hear about Taylor Hicks, with the Joe Cocker voice and white hair. Simon never liked Taylor and said that Paula and Randy would not put Taylor through to the next round. Taylor comes in playing a harmonica as he walks to the seat. Taylor is a character. He admits that he is nervous, and Paula reminds him how Simon said he would make it to the finals. Taylor replies by singing and more harmonica playing. Randy and Paula don't understand why Simon does not like Taylor. There is one spot each for the men and the women, and two of each sex still left waiting. Kinnik Sky and Megan Bobo are brought in together to learn there is only one person going on. It's Kinnik Sky who makes it through to the next round. The final two men, William Makar and Syd Harcourt, are in the room together. William makes it on to the next round. Next Tuesday, the viewers will vote off one of the women. The men will have their turn next Wednesday.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006 -- Evening
American Idol was on this evening. we are seeing the contestants pick a song and breaking into groups to sing. There are alot of personality problems. The contestants don't get back to the hotel until 2 am. Terrell Brittenum is upset because two members of his group went to bed instead of spending an additional two hours of singing. Terrell tries to wake up the other two by browbeating them. Terrell says that this is the reason why they don't do groups. He also says that he can do the "talking" to get him and his only awake partner into the next round. Meanwhile Terrell only had two hours of sleep and is ready to have a nervous breakdown because his partners are eating breakfast and talking to girls. Some of the groups are getting along, but that doesn't make for good drama. Terrell starts arguing with his brother Derrell because Derrell's group practiced. Next up are the group performances.Paris Bennett is up with the first group. Stephanie Scott sounds bad and Hanna Freeman is not much better. Meanwhile Terrell has got together with his teammates. Simon said that it was a fairly pitiful performance from all three of them. Paris is through to the next round. Hanna's trip is done, and Stephanie is on to the next round. Simon stops Stephanie to tell her that she is lucky because the other two got her through to the next round. Now it is Anthony Hansen, Terrell Brittenum and the other two. Elliott Yamin sounds good, and so did Anthony. Jose "Sway" Pensecola doesn't sound too good. Then it is up to Terrell, and he doesn't sound that good either. Terrell tells the judges that he and Anthony stayed up until 5:30 to sing. Then got up at 7:30 to scavenge the routine. Simon says Terrell is trashing them. Randy said that only Elliott sounded good. Simon said that even after Terrell's hours of practice, he sounded horrible. Paula lets Terrell, Sway, and Elliott on to the next round. After they get off the stage, Terrell starts trashing Anthony and says that his tone deaf voice threw everyone else off.
Kevin Covais is up next and the group is singing Fly Me to the Moon The group does not sound that great. I think that William Makar sounds the best of the group and Paula said that they were adorable. They all make it through to the next round. Tyra switched groups and isn't having very good chemistry with her group. Derrell Brittenum is now on stage singing with his group. Derrell is on to the next round. Derrell feels that he has to say something. He tells the judges that he is very disappointed, but that his spirit has been broken. Derrell said that he did American Idol because he thought it would be good for him. However, he said that he and his brother are going to leave and make their own album. It seems that Derrell thought that Terrell was cut. He didn't know that Terrell was through to the next round. Terrell tells Derrell to go in and apologize.
Some of the contestants don't know the words to their songs and resort to writing them on their arms. We see many people who don't seem to be able to remember the words to their songs. Tyra goes back to her original group and begs to go back. The other girls tell Tyra that she is throwing their flow, and that it isn't fair to either group. Meanwhile the group that Tyra left is struggling. Meredith Bandas and Leah Barrettsmith don't seem to know the words to the song at all. Tyra was right in telling the first group that the second group did no practicing. All three of the second group are cut. Meanwhile Derrell is back on the stage with his brother. Derrell tries to say that he wanted to resign because he felt that Terrell was mistreated. Derrell feels that he feels that he and Terrell exemplify what American Idol is about. Simon said that he is sick and tired of the stage acts of the Brittenums. Tyra does a good job and so does her group. All four are on to the next round. Marcy Smith does a nice job with her group, but the girl who refused to participate in the rehersals sucks. Nick, the sole guy in the group, is on to the next round. Both girls also make it to the next round. Next up is the cowboy kid and his group. They do a little film and call them Brokenote Mountain -- the story of tone deaf cowboys. It was quite a funny film clip. It was Garet Layne Johnson, Michael Evans, and Matthew Buckstein. The whole film clip made fun of their offtone singing while they all claimed to be able to sing.
The Brittenums are back on the stage. Simon asks if there is anything they would like to say. Derrell apologizes. Simon said they both could stay. The three cowboys are back. They sound just awful. It was a pitiful, but funny performance. Simon is looking at them like he wants to be sick. Simon said that they will probably look bad in four months time and wonder why they tried to be comedians. Simon said they were like drunk co-workers. Michael Evans is crying because what Simon said really hurt him. Garet is crying, and the other two think the world of Garet. Matthew tries to give Garet words of encouragement and tells Garet to come back next year and not let Matthew down. Garet knows he is not ready yet and that is green at this. Garet doesn't know what's down the road for him.
The remaining contestants to sing from a list of 95 songs and have to sing acapella on their own. It's not up to the judges to make the decision on who stays and who goes. The contestants are split into four separate rooms. Usually two rooms stay and two rooms go. The contestants in room one are told that they are going home. The contestants in room two are going on to the next round. The judges congratulate them. Simon has to leave for Britain. Derrell Brittenum is in room three which makes the contestants nervous. Room three is through. Paris is in room three, and the white haired guy. In room four everyone hears the cheers of others. Shockingly, room four is on to the next round too! That's three of the four rooms that are moving on. 44 contestants are through to the next round. The Brittenum twins hug and cry. Tomorrow night we will be down to 24, the top 12 guys and top 12 girls.
Wednesday, February 8, 2006 -- Evening
Today is the first day of the Hollywood elimination for American Idol. As usual, they send one half on a Hollywood excursion, while the other half starts the singing round. Each contestant has to sing a song from a list of 12 songs. It seems that they have voice coaches who help them out and give them tips as a group. The contestants have choicen the songs and key are ready to go. If the judges don't like it, they are on their way back home. First up is Kellie Pickler. She sings Hopelessly Devoted. Simon said that she was all over the place, and he put it down to nerves. The judges wait until they have eight singers and then say who is leaving and who is staying. Kellie makes it through to the next round. Patrick Hall is one of the first guys to sing. He does a very nice job. Randy tells Patrick that he has to work on his look, nice voice. Simon said that he is like Clay Aiken, but likeable. Patrick is on to the next round.The tourist group is visiting the Hollywood Bowl. Ronnie Norman and Steven David are up next. Steven David is the guy who danced with Paula. Steven said that he is the bomb. First up is Ronnie. He sang the same song as Steven. Simon didn't think Steven's vocal was very good. Both Ronnie and Steven are out. Steven said that the judges had alot of power in their hands, and didn't like how Simon said, "congratulations for making it this far--you are on your way home." Lisa Tucker is up next. Lisa did a nice job singing Hopelessly Devoted. Lisa is on to the next round. Alot of people chose to sing Hopelessly Devoted. It wasn't always the best choice, especially for the guys. The guy who sung the song made it to the next round.
Afternoon for the tour group, and the folks are walking around downtown Hollywood, looking at the Stars on the sidewalk. Ashley Guadamuz sounds really bad for her audition. She wasn't able to keep up with the pianist. Linelle Kagawa sounds like she hopes that if she screams she will sound good. Simon said that she made the song sound scary. Randy tells them that they got picked in their cities, and are just phoning it now. Paris Bennet is up next. She does a great job singing, and already sounds like a professional. She is on to the next round. The tourist group is now on Venice Beach. Taylor Hicks is up next. He sounds just like he did in his audition. Taylor does have the Joe Cocker sound. Simon said that Taylor is interesting, but looks like someone's father. Taylor is on to the next round. Garet is crying alot, and seems to be very overwhelmed by the whole experience.
Day two is up and this time, the tourists are competing and the others are now touring Hollywood. The Brittenum twins are there, which is suprising because the news is that they were turned back. Maybe they don't make it past the first round. Melissa Lucas sings, and Megan Zieger who has a cold and cracky voice is crying because she knows that she can sing, but that her cold is wrecking her voice. Simon said that she is having some throat problems, but that going down a key isn't helping her. She tries again. The judges really think that she sounds awful, but Megan begs for consideration because of her illness. Megan makes it through to the next round, even with the hoarse voice. After Megan, everyone is saying that they are sick. As the day went on, people came up with more excuses--tonsils, amps, piano, etc. Next up is the Brittenum twins. There is no mention of their legal troubles. They can't sing together. Terrell is up first and doesn't sound that great. Simon said that he didn't think Terrell sounded like an Idol. There was alot of horseplay with the twins. Derrell doesn't sound any better, and his voice cracks. Paula thought that Derrell was better than his brother. Both Brittenum twins are through to the next round. They are unhappy with comments made by the judges.
A whole lot of people sing If I ever Fall in Love. All who sing it make it on to the next round. Next up are Joshua and Jarrett. Joshua Simmons is up first. Paula thought that it was a great job and performance. Simon said that he won't remember it in 30 minutes time. Jarrett is up next. Simon said that the song Jarrett chose swolled his voice. The Simmons twins don't make it to the next round. Jarrett said that it isn't over for them because they are only 17. The Brittenums tell ask for the Simmons number because they claim that they can do something to get the Simmons a record deal. Maybe they should work on themselves first. Garet Johnson, the young cowboy who was overwhelmed was doing some more crying, and didn't do such a great job of singing, but he made it to the next round. The judges took Garet's nerves into consideration. Garet is very annoying. I don't find his hick performance very appealing. The Brittenums voice their opinion that people who did not deserve to move on did.
Chris Daughtery did a nice job and had the audience on his side. He is on to the next round. Mandisa Hundley sounds very Donna Summer-like and makes it on to the next round. Katharine McPhee is on next. She feels that she has something to live up to, and hopes that it wasn't just that she had a better day when she first auditioned. Paula tells her that she can sing her butt off. Katharine makes it to the next round. Dave Hoover from Wexford, the crazy guy, is up next. Now he is meditating before the act, but then comes jumping onto the stage. The guy is acting like a nut case. The guy can't sing and is just contorting himself and screaming on the stage. Dave's eyes are rolling in his head, and he ends by leaping up near the judges' table. Dave Hoover is headed home. 66 people were cut by the end of the auditions. 99 are on to the next round. Next week we get the group song.
Tuesday, February 7, 2006 -- Evening
Tonight is the last day of auditions for American Idol. It takes place in Boston. Simon tells the crowd that he is in a bad mood and it won't help that this is the location of the Boston Tea Party. First up is Ghost, James Yokley, Jr., who is dressed up in patriotic colors and flags. He sings something originally, but he doesn't do a very good job of it with singing. I think that he would be best as a rapper or something. He really can't sing or carry a note. Paula says that she doesn't think he is that bad and that he can hold a note. Randy tells him to not stick with music. Ayla Brown has a father who is a senator and a mother who is a television reporter. She also plays basketball and sings. She has sung the National Anthem. She sings Ain't No Mountain High Enough. She does have a nice voice and is a pretty girl. Randy thinks she has a good voice. Paula said that she has a good power voice, but doesn't really have the emotion behind it. Simon thinks there is something empty and robotic about her. Randy says yes and Simon says no. Ayla admits that she is going to school on an athletic scholarship for basketball. Ayla can't say that she would choose singing over basketball. Paula says yes, so Ayla is going on. Paula says that she just has to work on her stage presence.Next up is a mezza-soprano named Irada Jafarova. The girl really can't sing and her voice cracks more than a mirror hit by a hammer. Randy winds up laughing and trying to hide it. Simon asked if that was it. Simon said that Irada is one of those packages you get at Christmas time that you want to give back. Then Irada starts taking off the jacket and trying to get the rose out of her hair, but it gets stuck. She cracks her way through several songs. Obviously her teacher who has trained her is tone deaf. Simon said there wasn't a note in tune it was that bad. Simon is getting a headache. The guy who follows Irada is even worse, and the fat girl who follows is even worse, and dresses to accentuate the worst of her figure. The blonde girl who contorts her face is called a complete and utter mess. We then get treated to a host of contestants who are crying, and Simon giving some good, rude remarks.
Simon is a miserable as the rain outside of the audition location. Next up are twins who very commercial looking to Simon. Rebecca O'Donahue sings because her sister can't. The sister had surgery for a cyst that ruptured on her vocal cords. Rebecca sang Black Velvet. Paula said that her singing is not as beautiful as Rebecca. Randy would pass her through. Simon said that her looks are good, but voice is not and says no. Paula passes her through to the next round. To spite her grandmother who disowned her mother for marrying a black man, Tatianna Ward sings next. She has a nice voice, but I wouldn't say that it is the best. Tatianna then tells Randy that she loves his sweater and that he reminds her of her father. She tells Randy is the hottest and Paula is the sexiest. Simon says that the girl turns him off because she reminds him of a pet poodle that he owned. Simon says no, Randy says yes and so does Paula. We see a slew of women leaving the audtion clutching Hollywood tickets, but so far, no men.
We find out that alot of folks who audition have unusual jobs like hockey instructor, bartender, drag performer, manual laborer, and piano tuner. Holly Corrente works at a rehab center. She sings to people who have disabilities. She has a very nice voice. Nothing great, but a good voice. Paula says that Holly has a very nostalgic voice. Randy says no. Paula says that she needs work, but she does have a voice. Simon says no too. Holly said that next year she will probably be trying again next year. Next up is a guy who says that he sounds like Cher. Kenneth Maccarone actually sings a Cher song Do you Believe in Love. It is a weird sounding Cher. Simon says that Kenneth should be a female impersonator. Kenneth said that he won't dress like a female, but wants to sing like a female. Kenneth tries to get smart with Simon, and Simon says that he is just giving the guy a career suggestion. Simon said that he sounded like Cher. Simon says no. Kenneth doesn't understand why if Cher is a good singer and he sounds like Cher, he isn't making it to Hollywood. Kenneth says that he just has to stand up for himself, and is sent on his way.
The men aren't making it through, and all seem to suck. One young kid is told to fire his singing teacher. Kevin Covais looks like a young teenage geek. He sings You Raise Me up. He actually does have a nice voice which doesn't fit his look at all. Simon says that Kevin is a very nice young man. Simon said that anyone over 80 would like him and no one under 21 would relate to him. Paula disagrees, and said that he has the Clay Aiken look. Randy and Paula say yes so Kevin is going to Hollywood. Next we get several renditions of Joy to the World. First we hear the Three Dog Night version interspersed with the Christmas carol.
Michael Sandecki is playing the Clay Aiken card by claiming he looks like Clay. The kid is annoying. He is really ugly, and tries to swagger. He sings In the Still of the Night. The kid can't sing and has a strange lisp, and also contorts his face in a funny way. Randy is laughing. Simon says that is it obvious that Michael modelled himself after Clay Aiken. Simon says you will be compared to him because you look like him, but you don't sound like him. Michael looks ready to cry, and says that he can sing, but he is really nervous and has to pee. Simon tells him to run and pee and come back. Michael runs to the bathroom while the judges wait, and the Chariots of Fire music plays. Michael comes back, and Simon says that he doesn't want any talk, he just wants Michael to sing. Simon said, "It didn't work. It just made you worse." 28 people are headed from Boston to Hollywood. The auditions are finally finished. 175 are moving on to the next round. To finish the show we are treated to a montage of scenes from the past few weeks worth of shows. Tomorrow it is on to Hollywood.
Wednesday, February 1, 2006 -- Evening
The last audition show for American Idol. This one is taking place in Austin. Paula Abdul claims that Simon hasn't been in a good mood yet. First up is a very geeky looking guy who wants to be a dancer, and it looks like he can dance. Julian Riano does an impressive split. Unfortunately, not only can't the kid sing, but he doesn't really have a stage presence. He sings Lemon Tree. Randy said the singing was terrible. Julian thinks that he is a good singer and wants to sing again. Randy quickly says "no, no, no, it's a no from all of us." A whole slew of really strange, bad singers make an appearance. Next up is a woman, Paula Goodspeed, who looks like a crazy, bag lady. She is a huge Paula Abdul fan and does life-size drawings of Paula. For some reason, Paula, the contestant, seems to think that she is attractive and a style maven. Simon claims that he sees a similarity between the two Paulas. Paula is speechless because it is a bad thing. Randy said that it is terrible. Simon said that he didn't think people could sing with so much metal in their mouth. Randy and Paula let Simon know that it's braces. Being British, Simon probably doesn't know what mouth braces are. Paula Goodspeed thinks that she is an original with a unique voice.It's amazing how tone deaf some people are as we are treated to more samples of some really bad singing. So far, no one has been selected to go on to Hollywood. We have to sit through another Idol skit called Curse of the Co-Eds. Next up is Jason Horn who is a funeral director. Jason said that he is not the stereotype of plastic and cold that most think of with the mention of funeral director. Randy is shocked when Jason said that he is an embalmer. Jason can actually sing, and sings You Raise Me Up. Randy said yes and that Jason is really good. Paula also says yes, and Jason is on to Hollywood. Veterinarian technician, Cierra Johnson, is an attractive girl and sings O Holy Night, and has a really bad, cracking voice. Simon said that it was awful and that he was really surprised because he thought that she would be good. The girl would not stop singing. It's a no. Simon said that it was like a soundtrack of Nightmare Before Christmas. Cierra didn't want to embarrass herself by saying anything more when she left the room.
Allison Schoening had a terrible experience on the flight to the audition. Obviously it affected her voice because it wasn't too good. Allison said she is very nervous and Simon goes on saying that it sounds like a cat with its tail caught in a door. The judges told her to go and relax and get rid of the nerves. Allison said that she could tell she sounded bad. Simon told her to think of Randy in his bathing suit, to which Allison said that she was thinking of Simon that way and that's probably why she sucked. Simon realized that she meant it in a good way, but Randy loved the comment. Allison goes off to get over her nerves. Ricky Haynes is up next. He is a music major, and he actually has a very nice voice. Paula called Ricky refreshing. Simon thought that it was the nicest sounding voice and distinctive. Simon said that he loved it. Paula and Simon are 100%, and Randy agrees. Ashley Jackson is a fit model. She goes and tries on clothes to make sure they fit properly. It seems that Ashley can sing with her mouth closed and she does. Simon said that it might sound better with her mouth closed. Simon said that he likes her, but doesn't care much for her singing. Randy likes her and is going to give her a shot and Simon agrees. My boyfriend said that it might be because of her breasts. Sometimes it just comes down to looks and not talent. Ashley doesn't have a great voice, but it's not bad.
First up after the break is Ronnie "RJ" Norman. He actually seems to have a nice voice. Simon thought it was good, and so did Paula. Randy didn't really like it. Paula and Simon agree and Ronnie is on to Hollywood. Ronnie is definitely a ladies' man and there's alot of video of Ronnie making out with the ladies. Next up is a guy who is the spitting image of Randy. His name is Kevin Mitchell. Simon told Randy that's how he could look if Randy were thinner. Kevin has an interesting voice, and I like it. Simon said that Kevin is like Randy as a judge, abit forgettable. All three judges turn down Kevin.
Allison is back to sing and show that she isn't as bad as she was the first time. Unfortunately it doesn't sound much better. Allison doesn't think that is as bad. All three say no and Allison said that she had fun. Next up is 16 year old, William Makar. He can sing and has a nice sound voice. Paula said that he has a sweet voice, but doesn't think that William is ready. Simon likes him and thinks that mothers will like him. Simon and Randy send William on to Hollywood.
The worst is saved for last. Tessie Mae Reid, who is very chunky, thinks that she like Carrie Underwood. She thinks she will be the next big star, and she does have the big on her side. She is so fat that her knees bend inwards so her legs look like an X. Tessie runs through her medley and it was not a good song. Simon said that she should not choose that song and Randy said she shouldn't choose any song. Simon tells her that he likes her and tells her to choose another career. Paula asks if Tessie thought she did well, and Tessie said yes and thinks the judges are all wrong and missing out on alot. Simon said that he didn't think he could do this anymore. Tessie storms out and cries. Tessie said that they told her to never sing. Simon compares Tessie to an overstuffed potato sack. Only 12 people made it to Hollywood from Austin. Next week there will be one final audtion in Boston, and then the show will move on to Hollywood.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006 -- Evening
The final week of auditions for American Idol. Today's show is in Las Vegas. Simon Cowell is back with Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul. First up is a reggae guy, Alexia "Dylon" Lincheta. The guy talks with a phony accent and has a shirt that says "Jamica good music". The song is a made up one, and it's not that great. I think that he's trying to go on the usual aspect, but he didn't sing. Simon said that the act was just stupid. Even Paula agreed that it was not good. Alexia felt that he let himself down for coming as a gimmick and not as himself. He cries on the tape and says that it is a learning experience. Next up is a man in a jester's outfit and he was sent out without singing. Bobby May, the psychic would could not sing, is back! She is now a talent manager and has been encouraging her sister to sing. They both go in to the audition. Simon asks Bobby May why she has come back. Simon said, "so you aren't going to sing!" Bobby May claims to be 24 and that her sister is 17. Erica Davis does some singing. Simon says they are the maddest family he has ever met. Randy said singing is not in the family. Simon asks Bobby May to not come back and just watch the show. Next up is Mecca Madison who is a singer and a belly dancer. She is 18 and says that her heritage is Arabian. The girl can sing. Paula calls her a breath of fresh air. Mecca is on her way to Hollywood. The judges make fun of Ryan Seacrest stealing their lines.Ryan Hart is the next contestant. He says his singing is different, and he will stand out. Ryan curses and Paula tells him that he can't curse because it is a family show. Ryan sings in an Exorcist creature voice. Different is not a good description. The guy is a lunatic. Simon says that he is bored with Ryan and sends him on his way. Heather Ward is up next and she works in a prison as a guidance counselor. She wants to leave her job and be a singer. Heather is ready to take America by storm. The girl can sing, and she sings a country-ish song which is strange coming from a black girl. Paula passes because she thinks the song is too simple melodically, but Randy and Simon say yes.
Las Vegas is a show town, and Pepi, aka Jason Andino, the singing gondalier is up next. He sings Stand By Me. I think that he does not have a bad voice, but Paula and Simon say no. Randy said that he would have said yes. After this segment, we all get to see a slew of repeats. One of the folks who came back to audition is JC Gray. He was the guy from last year who had really crazy eyes and scared Simon. This year is no different. As soon as JC shows up he is sent on his way. A really fat guy shows up next. His name is Anthony Andolino. When he sings, he has a high pitched, girly sounding voice. Anthony can't sing. The judges say that Anthony is out of tune, but he doesn't think that they are right. After Anthony leaves, Simon said that they couldn't have afforded the food bill if Anthony went to Hollywood.
Twins Maureen and Marnelli Pearson are on the scary side. They talk together and it's freaky to hear. They sing Dreams by the Cranberries. Simon said that it was pleasant but dull. It's a no from all three, and the girls cry as they leave because they did it for their dad, and wanted to make him proud. David Mandzak sounds like he has some sort of learning problem. David can't sing and all three turn him down. We now see a skit of Criminal Singers Investigators. It's a spoof on CSI and shows some of the bad auditions. My favorite is the fat girl who sings I've Got a Big Butt.
Next up is Haggai Yedidya. He sings Proud to be an American. He claims to have perfect pitch, but if that's perfect pitch, I'm a singer. Paula says that he is not right for American Idol. Simon, however, says that Haggai's voice is terrible, and Randy agrees. Two more singers are left. The first is Princess Brewer, which she says is her real name. Princess says that she is conceited and a perfectionist. Princess also thinks that she sounds like Aretha Franklin, and she describes herself as black, sassy and a perfectionist. The song she sings is That's What Friends are For. Gosh, what a bad voice! Her voice is loud, squeaky and it's like a nail is going through your head. Simon starts muttering to "please shut her up". It seems that she is giving Simon a headache. Randy also said that it was painful. Paula claimed that there were sweet moments and Simon kept on asking when? When Princess left, Paula admitted that the sweet moments were before Princess started, and Randy added also when she was quiet. Next up was a medley of I Will Survive by bad singers.
Last up is Taylor Hicks. Taylor is 29, and he has grey hair. It seems that his hair started turning grey at 14 or 15. Simon asked Taylor why he was there, and Taylor said "I want my voice heard. I know I have one." Taylor sings a Joe Cocker song. Paula tells him that he can definitely sing, and has him sing another type of song. Randy likes him. Simon said that it's not just about the voice, and Paula said that's right. She says that Taylor is a good performer. Simon thinks Taylor should only sing in the background. Paula and Randy say yes so Taylor is on to Hollywood. Only 11 people made it to Hollywood from Las Vegas. Tomorrow it is on to Austin.
Monday, January 30, 2006 -- Early Morning
Derrell and Terrell Brittenum were booted from American Idol before they could make the trip out to Hollywood. The twins had run into trouble with the law over identity theft. The twins used the identity to buy a car. Supposedly record companies are showing an interest in the twins.Thursday, January 26, 2006 -- Evening
Finally time to watch yesterday's episode of American Idol. This episode is set in San Francisco. The audio started with Heidi Fairbanks who comes from Hawaii. She sang a Verdi aria. She actually could sing opera. Paula stopped her and asked if she could sing something more versatile. She then sang a country type song. Simon said that she sang the classical style beautifully, but he didn't like her pop style. Paula thought that she was just yelling. Randy thought the classical song was brilliant. Simon said no, Paula said yes, and Randy was very much on the fence. As he said, beautiful girl, great opera voice, but no pop voice. Next up is Shawn Vasquez. He said that he sings like an angel, and he also takes opera lessons. Shawn thinks that he will be huge one day, and he is headed that way weight-wise. Shawn sings Neither One of Us Wants to Say Goodbye. Gosh, the guy can't sing at all. He is just screaming. The song is unrecognizeable. He is trying to operaize it and his voice is cracking. Paula is laughing and Randy said that it is the loudest ever. Simon told poor Shawn that he had one of the worst voices. Simon said that it was an inhuman voice that seemed to irritate Randy. Randy asked Simon why he had to be so mean. Simon also told Shawn that he couldn't sing and should not be trying to get into singing.Jose "Sway" Penala is up next. He has a very nice R&B style. All three say yes to him. Lauren Weckerly also moves on to the next step. A whole slew of yeses follow. Next up is Matthew "Wolfie" Paulson who thinks that he sounds like Clay Aiken, and he is sure that he is going to Hollywood. He also sang a Clay Aiken song. Bold, and really poorly sung. Randy asked what he thought Clay would have thought of that. Wolfie thought that Clay would like it. Simon said it was hideous. After the guy leaves, Paula tells Simon that he is mean. Wolfie thought that he sounded like Clay. We then heard Clay and Wolfie sing at the same time. It was no comparison.
John Williams was a military man who was now back in civilian life. He did a Michael Jackson impression. Randy called it a circus act, which Simon mocked was harsh. Williams is not on his way to Hollywood. Next is Katharine McPhee. Her mom is a vocal teacher, and has been stage mothering Katharine. The girl can sing although I think that she over sings her song abit. Simon said that parts of it were fantastic. Randy called her brilliant and Paula said that Katharine was beautiful. Simon really seems to like her and says that her singing is very current. She is on to Hollywood. Scary Eric Cornforth has a scary sounding voice and must be scaring himself because he sings with his eyes closed. He won't be going anywhere but home. Now we get to a poet, Sharlisla Carlyle. She is a poet who wants to move on to singing and just discovered that she has a singing voice. Unfortunately for Sharlisla, she gave up her job to compete for a spot on Idol. Her singing voice is awful, and she throws in some depressing poetry to top it off. All say no, but Simon says that he likes her and will call her boss to get Sharlisla's job back for her. He succeeds.
Shawna White is a 16 year old girl whose father used to be in a rock band. She has a nice voice, but sings an old standard that turns the judges off. Then she sings something modern. Simon said that the first song was like nails on a chalkboard and turns her down. Randy and Paula say yes and Randy wants to know what is wrong with Simon. That means that he sings, dances, raps, acts. Marcus is a renaissance man. Unfortunately, his singing hurts my ears. Not to worry. He's only going home. Next up is Jayne Santayana. She sings Sweet Love and does a nice job. Simon thought that the song was too much for her though. At that, Randy commented that Simon's hearing was off today. Simon said that his answer was no but that "Beethoven and Mozart will get you through." They do because both Randy and Paula say yes. After that we get to see a minute or so of clips of Simon and Paula disagreeing.
Two more people to go. Deborah Dawn Tilley claims to be 27, but she looks like she is 50. As she said, she has been in a rock band since she was 7. I think that's just her way of explaining away 20 years of experience. She can sing and does really well with rock songs, but that wild, frizzy hair, and old look is very off-putting. Paula thought that it was alittle bit too much, but interesting. Simon said that she can sing, but it was coming across someone's mother who is trying to look like Cher. Paula says yes, and Randy says no, and Simon says that he hates to say this, but he would have to close his eyes to listen to her because her look is very hard on the eyes. It's a true statement. When Paula expresses some displeasure at this statement and says that's what Simon said about Clay Aiken. Simon then starts to debate the issue by saying that Paula wasn't there when Clay Aiken audition. That went on, back and forth for abit, and then Simon said no to Deborah. After Deborah leaves, Randy says that Simon is having a bad day. Simon denies it and storms off. This isn't just a little tiff. Simon goes back to the hotel, and Paula and Randy are left to judge the last person alone. This person is Manuel Viramontes. He is holding a religious icon to give himself strength and courage. Well, the guy can't sing, and he won't stop. Even after Randy asks what is up with that voice, the guy continues. Finally Randy stops him and sends Manuel on his way. All in all, 18 people were selected from San Francisco. Next stop is Las Vegas. Not to worry. The highlights of the upcoming show feature Simon. He will be back.
As a note of interest, Blake Boshnack who was in the first audition show from Chicago was on Fox and Friends this morning, and he said that the reason he dressed as the Statue of Liberty is that although thousands show up at the auditions, Paula, Simon and Randy only see about 100 or so. That means that you have to stand out and Blake thought that was the way to do it. Blake actually can sing, but unfortunately, his garb took him out of the competition.
Thursday, January 26, 2006 -- Morning
Because I got home late last night, I didn't get a chance to watch American Idol last night. I have it recorded on my DVR and will give a recap of the show this evening. News is that Simon Cowell actually walked off the set in the episode. We all should know that it's just dramatics and that Simon will be back. However, Idol producers would probably like us to think otherwise. It's just a way to boost ratings through drama. I have to admit that I'm a sucker for human drama. The fracas appears to be over the appearance of one of the singers. Simon said that he would have to hear her sing with his eyes closed to make a good decision, and Paula Abdul threw her usual hissy fit. More to follow tonight when I watch the show.Tuesday, January 24, 2006 -- Evening
American Idol is in Greensboro, North Carolina this evening. The show starts with Sabrina Oakley, who is 26 and wins alot of karaoke competitions. I think she won karaoke competitions because people are drunk at the time they vote. Simon tells her that when people are hitting on her in the bars, it is because they are hitting her to shut her up. Simon says that Sabrina is more Jerry Springer than American Idol. Randy and Simon both say that beer ears are responsible for her wins. Randy admits that Simon was right in his Jerry Springer assessment when the girl goes out with a foul mouth. Cachet Robinson is up next. She says that she is a shower singer, and sings I'm Every Woman. Poor Cachet can't sing, and choose the wrong song that accentuated some really bad vocals. Paula said that she didn't recognize the song and Simon told her to buy a soundproof shower curtain. Simon said that he meant it in a kind way because it was appalling. It seems that the judges had two straight hours of no votes. Next up is Kellie Pickler, 19, from Abelmarle, where she lives with her grandpa. Her mother left her at the age of two and her father has been in prison for drugs over the years. She looks like Carrie Underwood. She sings a Kelly Clarkson song and sings it beautifully. She is very good. She has a really strong, loud voice. Paula likes her. Simon thinks that she oversings the song, but he really does like her. After she leaves, Simon says "that's a nice girl" over and over again and that he wished good things for her.Shawn DeSalazar showed up with his family. His little brother says that Shawn is strong enough to get to Hollywood. Shawn is 17 and on a mission to bring back standards. He sings Old Black Magic. He can sing. Simon thought it was distinctly average and on a par with a singing waiter. Paula said that the outfit was distracting. As Shawn goes to leave, Simon asks for a coffee and Randy asks about the prime rib. The little brother was very upset over the whole thing and thought that one day his older brother will get a contract. They showed some props that others brought in. One guy, Richard Garland, brought in a ventriloquist dummy. He has been doing it since he was 8 years old. The dummy is called Scotty. He sang Flying Without Wings which he sang a year earlier at his wedding. Simon said he had a good voice, but he wondered if he was good enough for the competition. Randy said the singing was okay and that he liked the dummy. Randy and Simon said no. Paula told him it was only one audition.
Ronda Jones is up next, and she is something else. I feel sorry for people like her because they are pitiful people who have no talent and really seem to be clueless. I even wonder if Ronda has some problems emotionally and psychologically. She sings in a squeaky, high pitched cartoon voice. She tells Ryan Seacrest that her mom thinks that Ronda is a mix of Carrie Underwood and Brittany Spears. After she poorly sings her song, she says that she should be picked because she is "sweet, cute and adorable". It is heartbreaking, Randy and Paula say no, but Simon says that he would have said yes. Sgt. Steven David Jr. is up next. The guy is in the National Guard and is cute. When he comes in, he tells the judges that if he can sing, he wants to do a dance with Paula. Simon immediatedly says yes on Paula's behalf. Steven David sings Let's Get It On. Boy, does the guy have a nice seductive voice. Randy and Simon drag Paula out on the floor, and she dances with the guy. All three say yes, and Paula leaps up on the guy, wrapping her legs around him, and he carries her out of the room on Randy and Simon's suggestions. Right outside the door is the guy's wife, and Paula said that in future Steven shouldn't lead women on since he is married. Next up is Halicia Thompson. She has brought 17 family members with her and her 11 year old daughter. She sings Different World, and does a great job with the song. Simon said that she was a natural singer and that he liked her. Halicia asked if she could kiss him and she brought a plastic bag so there wouldn't be germs spread. Simon told her that no plastic bag was necessary and gave her a peck on the lips.
Not everyone was good. Denny Meacham claimed to be a vocal coach, but he absolutely slaughtered Bridge Over Troubled Water. As Simon said, Denny murdered one of the most beautiful songs, and Paula said that he didn't sing one note on key. Simon added that Denny should look on this as the first day of his search for a new career. Another sad story comes up with Kendra Winston. She is an orphan who has been placed with 42 different families in North Carolina. She was emancipated at age 15, had a son, got married and had two daughters. She realized how bad a choice she had made and divorced her husband, got her GED, and went to college. Kendra is a person that you want to cheer on. She comes into the audition with a bubbly attitude. Simon said that she was like Whitney Houston (which considering what Whitney has become could be bad). Kendra said that it was because of her new curly hair. She sang Ain't no Mountain High Enough. The song was abit rushed in my opinion. Randy said it was nice and Paula said it was a breath of fresh air. After the two yes-es, Simon said that he would have said no to which Kendra replied, "it doesn't matter because I'm going to Hollywood!" Speaking of Whitney, next up is Chase from Richmond, Kentucky. He decides to sing a Whitney Houston song, and you always have to worry about guys who sing women's songs. But he actually does have a nice voice. Paula said that it was an interesting tone and pleasing voice. Simon said that he almost imagined Chase in a dress. Simon says no, but Randy and Paula say yes so Chase is on his way to Hollywood.
After Chase, we get a few shots of Simon saying "not to be rude" and then saying something rude. That's what makes Simon so entertaining. You know you can count on him for the cutting remark. Chonna Clepper is next and she is rude to Ryan Seacrest. If Simon knew that, he would have been in her favor. She kept on telling Seacrest that he was short. It seems that he is 5'9". Anyway on to her audition. The first problem with Chonna is wearing slutty lingerie that her mother, the stripper bought for her. I kid you not! Paula tells Chonna that she has a raw voice and need vocal lessons and Randy agrees. Simon makes some rude comments on the girl wearing lingerie and how her mother should have sent her back into the bathroom to change. One thing that we do learn is that the judges are finding more women who can sing than men. First up is Brandon Haithcock who seems very nervous and who makes Michael Jackson type sounds as he sings. Brandon is sent on his way and his girlfriend claims it is because of the clothes that he wears. Of course, it couldn't be his singing ability or lack thereof. We then get to see several clips of singers with nerves.
One guy who is going to Hollywood is Jeffrey "Ryan" Baysden. He sings Broken Roads and has a really nice voice. Simon commented that this is the first Ryan he ever met who had talent. All three liked Ryan and he goes on to Hollywood. next is Cedric Robinson who is a relative of Fantasia. (I don't think Fantasia is that great of a singer). Cedric is a largish black man who has a deep speaking voice, but a high-pitched, squeaky singing voice. Simon said that it was absolutely dreadful, and Randy said that Cedric ran through all 12 keys. Cedric tries to tell them that he has been singing since he was three years old, and Simon said that his voice hasn't changed much. Our next singer's grandmother is Ann Nesby, who is the lead singer of Sounds of Blackness. We see Randy talking to her and telling Ms. Nesby that she has a wonderful voice. Her granddaughter is Paris Bennett, 17. Paris' speaking voice sounds very childlike. However, when she sings, it is a beautiful voice. She sings one song and the judges request another, and she belts that one out even better! Simon says that Paris is unbelieveable and asks where she has been hiding. Randy tells them that she got the talent honestly from her grandmother. After Paris leaves the audition, she is crying heavily and is congratulated by her grandmother, Ann Nesby.
Day 2 in Greensboro. Simon gets a cake because it is his birthday. First up is Marcus Behling. He sings Michael Jackson's She's out of my Life and holds the notes incredibly long. Simon stops him and asks "what the hell is that?" Randy comments that it would take him two hours to finish singing that song. They ask Marcus if he had another singing lessons. Marcus said yes--that he had the Paula Abdul/Randy Jackson Ultimate Voice Coach DVD. Simon starts laughing hysterically and gets up to shake Marcus' hand. Marcus begs to sing another song and again holds the notes for a long time. Simon keeps on saying that he is deferring to Randy on this one. Randy and Paula say no, and Simon said that it was his best birthday present ever. I do think this one may have been a gag. Marcus goes outside and take a hammer to the DVD.
On to more bad singers. First is Jimmy Crabtree. He's another karoke singer who claims that he is so good that someone approached him at a bar to sing at her wedding. The girl must have had beer ears because Jimmy has an awful voice that is full of cracks. Simon said that Jimmy had the personality of a hippo when he sings (not to be rude). Paula said that he didn't sing a single note in the right key and that it was bad to sing with his eyes closed. Next is Sammy Neighbors. The guy is wearing makeup and is prancing around the stage with a red towel. He sings I can Show you the World and then slipped into Paula's song Straight Up. After the singing, Simon says that Sammy looks like Sylvester Stallone's younger sister. It's amazing because he actually does! Sammy is not going on to Hollywood. Next is Tyra Juliet Schwartz. She sings In the Still of the Night. She does a beautiful job. Paula says that Tyra has a beautiful tone and voice. Simon says that he thinks that Tyra has a good voice, but doesn't know if she is a star. Tyra said that she will show Simon. Randy says yes so Tyra is going to Hollywood.
Seth Strickland is up next and he dresses, acts and attempts to sing like Michael Jackson. Problem is that Strickland is white (well some would say that Michael is too) and can't sing at all. Simon said that Seth's dancing was better than his singing and I don't think that was saying much. Next up is Jordan Southerland. He is dressed as a firefighter, and I was sure that it would be a bad performance. However, Jordan has a nice voice. All three say that Jordan has a nice voice and he is on his way to Hollywood. Last up was Rhonetta Johnson. Snippets of Rhonetta were being shown throughout the show. Rhonetta is a big, husky black girl with a long blonde wig and is dressed in a tight, sequined outfit. She has on a white, sequin tube top with huge boobs hanging out, a short tight white skirt and high shiny white boots. The girl looks like a hooker. She is as arrogant as ever saying that she will be bigger than J-Lo and Janet Jackson. Simon said that she already is (in reference to her weight). The girl can not sing at all and claims that it is because her mouth is dry. Paula offers her some of her drink which Rhonetta doesn't accept. Finally, after no singing, the judges tell her it's a no (absolutely never from Simon). Rhonetta leaves the audition and spews bleeps and garbage about Paula, even commenting on how she would never stoop to drink anything from Paula. The show ends with only nine people being selected for Hollywood. Tomorrow's show is set in San Francisco.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006 -- Late Morning
American Idol is on tonight, and I'm guessing that future shows won't show comments about men singing/looking like women. It seems that the show with the guy that looked like a girl got some folks knickers in a twist. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation took exception to the remarks that were made by Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. Yeah, people are cruel and make jokes about folks who are different. Yeah, so it hurts their fragile, little egos. As my father always used to tell me when I was a child and cried because someone called me skinny, "Sticks and stones may break your bones, but names will never hurt you." Now adays it's more like "Sticks and stones may break your bones, but if done by a terrorist, it might be because he is disadvantaged. Names will be handled by a lawsuit."Saturday, January 22, 2006 -- Late Evening
I am behind in my news reading. With the class, hockey games, and the recurring headache, I just have been lagging behind, so I missed the news that Terrell and Derrell Brittenum, the twins who auditioned for American Idol's current show have been arrested. It seems that the pair used someone else's identity to buy a car which was later reported as stolen. Derrell was arrested in October when stopped for a traffic violation, and a warrant was put out for his brother at that time also. Terrell has been in jail since January 10, and Derrell is expected to turn himself in shortly.Wednesday, January 18, 2006 -- Evening
American Idol auditions in Denver this evening. First up is a young man who compares himself to Usher and tells Usher to step aside. Marlows Davis, Jr. says that he is going to sing two songs so the judges can get a good feel for his voice. Simon cut him short. Paula told him that his singing was strange and Randy laughed. Poor Marlows is 16 and said he came a long way and pleaded with them to say that he could sing. Marlows just didn't believe he couldn't sing. Tiffany Christensen is next. Not only couldn't see sing, she dressed awfully and couldn't dance. Olivia Dudley couldn't sing or dance either. They really seemed to have some really bad singers in Denver. Lisa Tucker is 16 and already an actress from Anaheim, CA. She sang One Moment in Time and did a really good job. She has a nice voice. Simon said that normally he loathed 16 year olds but thought that she was the best he has ever heard. Lisa is on to the next round.Some of the contestants were complaining because Simon was taking so many potty breaks, and needed two breaks in two hours. It seems that there weren't alot of good singers. Amanda Berg can do contortionist things with her body, but she can't sing. Randy starts laughing because Amanda said that in ten years she wanted to be Whitney Huston. Amanda thought that she made some mistakes but that she sang at a 6 out of 10. Simon said take that minus 5 1/2. Brett "Ace" Young is up next. He can sing. Randy thought that Ace was one of the best singers in Denver and had great control with his chest. Simon said that he thought Ace was likeable, but didn't think much of his voice. Ace is going on with three yes votes. Next up is Rochelle Elaine Dye who was evicted from her home. Now she lives with a cousin and is going to be evicted again so as she said, she really needs it. Simon and Randy really liked her and thought that she was one of the best so far this season.
Rockers are next. It's one thing to be a rocker and another to actually be able to sing. There were some really weird guys. Then there were rocker chicks. Naomi Guse was talking about being sedated and was sedating the audience. One girl said that rockers don't have to be good singers. The star rocker was Chris Daughtry, the vin Diesel look-alike. His wife was there and was crying because he is much younger than her and took on her and her two kids. He sang The Letter. He has a really nice voice, and a very hard rocker look with his shaved head. Randy and Paula liked him. Simon wasn't sure that Chris had charisma, and he thought that Chris rushed the song. Randy and Paula saw talent and nerves. Simon said no to Chris. Randy and Paula sent him to Hollywood.
We see some good and bad performances. Heather Cox was pretty good, but then some girl had the audacity to sing a Paula Abdul song, poorly. Erik Mena plans on standing his ground and not letting Simon get to him. Erik can't sing, so you know there isn't much home for him with Simon who just stares him down and on his way. Next up is Garet Johson who is a cattle rancher's son and works with the cows. His whole family comes with him. When Garet goes in to sing, he is so nervous that he can't talk. He does have a good voice. They all thought that he could benefit from singing lessons. He is really very shy. Simon says yes, So does Randy, and Paula said no. They all suggested that he get some lessons because he has a nice voice. 19 contestants made it to Hollywood on the first day in Denver.
Day two, a Sunday, in Denver. A real loser is next up. It's a guy who wears pajamas in public, gave himself the nickname, Flawless, and he can't speak English. He has his own business, but can't even remember the slogan for his housecleaning business. Then we have this "genius" who is happy to meet a fellow entrepreneur. Flawless is up first and claims to be 25, but can't seem to come out with that in any timely fashion. He's probably older and a real loser. Flawless (aka Nick McCord) has a really bad cracking voice, and has a bright yellow checked outfit. The Genius (aka Ben Hausbeck) gave Paula a cosmic coaster. He sings If I Only a Brain. The guy stops singing because Paula starts laughing at him. Simon said that Ben is a terrible singer and his invention is hopeless. Simon then said that he was hopeless and boring. The Genius thought that he didn't get a chance to evolve, and after he leaves tells the judges they can kiss his butt.
April Walsh is up next. She's not a bad singer. Randy and Paula liked her and send her on to Hollywood. She had alot of vim and verve. On the second day in Denver alot of girls were moving on to Hollywood, but not alot of guys. Last up is Zachary Taylor who is a guy who looks like a girl and sounds like a girl. It sings Whitney Huston to really confuse things. Simon thought it was atrocious and confused. Zachary thought he was awesome. Paula thought that his voice was not up to par. Zach's family are there waiting for him, and Zach starts crying and saying that everyone is racist and prejudice. Zach thought that just because he couldn't sing a girl's song and sing in a girl's range, that the judges were wrong and racist. 18 folks made it to Hollywood on day two for a total of 37. Next up is Greensboro, North Carolina.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 -- Evening
Tonight was the first audition night for American Idol. The show is two hours long, and I'll give the highlights and lowlights. My favorite part of the show, obviously, is the Simon Cowell. The show starts with short snippets of the auditions. The first auditions are in Chicago. Derek Dupre was first. From his look, very casual, and extreme confidence, it was obvious he would be bad. He said that he could sing any pitch. He sang an original medley. He did snippets of R&B songs in a variety of voices. It was awful. Randy Jackson asked the guy to sing his low pitch. All the guy could come up with low voices. Simon said that everything about the performance was horrible. Derek tried to tell the gang that he could sing one basic pitch and that he was the best. Derek asks for one hour, and Simon gives him a second chance. Paula thought Derek was 43. Catrina Yauke was next singing the Humpty Dance. Simon stopped her and told her to sing. Catrina couldn't come up with a song, and Simon cut it short by telling her no. Paula said to come prepared. Simon thinks Catrina had the wrong everything. Justine Sticht was next. He claimed he could sing anything from Elvis to Queen. Simon cuts him short on both songs and then just says "Thank You". There are two twins who want to compete together. They are the Brittenum twins and both think they will make the show.As we come back from the break we hear Simon saying no to many different contestants. My favorite was the guy dressed like Swiss Miss. We didn't hear any of them sing. Now the Brittenum twins. They ask for them to sing together and then to sing solo. They do sound good together and really do have a nice harmony. Then Terrell Brittenum sang My Girl. He did a nice job. Derrell Brittenum sang Please Don't Leave Me Girl. They both did a great job. Randy says yes to both. Paula says yes to both and so does Simon. They are going to Hollywood. Paula tells Simon that he is getting extra Grinch, and Randy says that Simon is getting crusty. Next up is a girl who is a dental hygenist during the day and in a group called Catfight at night. Gina Glocksen sings Power of Love and substitutes Simon's name in the song as being her man. She does have a nice, strong voice. All say yes. Poor Gina Noriega couldn't remember the words to her song, and she couldn't sing either. So we kept on hearing her screwing up songs. Poor girl! Simon says "appalling" and the girl leaves in tears. Mandisa Hundley is up next and sings Falling. She does sing well and has a sultry voice. Simon thought that she was terrific and liked that she wanted to be known only by her first name. She is on to Hollywood too. Simon does make a comment about needing a bigger stage.
Kevin Brenneman is up next. He is a short guy who looks very geeky. Simon said that Kevin reminded him of a wasp--a little, buzzy, energetic thing. Paula said that he had a unique voice and could do voice overs for Rugrats to which Simon said that Paula was calling the guy a rat. Charles Berry came back again this year, and was just as bad as last year. The best comment was when Simon told Charles to shave his face hair and start performing as a female entertainer. Simon can be very cruel. Amanda used to show beef cattle, and stopped her mid-performance to say that the singing was too weird and painful. After Amanda left, Paula called Simon a pill. My personal favorite was Deputy Sheriff Brandon Groves from West Virgina sang the line "I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy" over and over again. It was painful to listen to. Next up was Christine Davis in her white, wedding-like prom dress. The poor girl was having trouble hitting the notes, but Paula told her that she had a good voice but just needed to get some experience. Blake Bosnack came in to the audition dressed as the Statue of Liberty, and only got two words of his song out before Simon stopped him.
It was time for Derek Dupre to come back for his second shot in an hour. Simon said that he sounded like a possessed 6 year old and Derek was sent on his way. Eric Lawton is up next and he came with his entire family. His mother said that when Eric sings she cries. It's easy to understand why because Eric sounds like a high pitched girl. Simon said that Eric sounded like an auntie who insists on singing after lunch and it never sounds good. Simon went out on a break after the Eric debacle, and Eric's grandmom asked Simon why he was so rude. Simon said that he didn't think he was so rude and that the grandmom should join her grandson next time. Next up are two sisters, Brooke and Leah Barrettsmith. I thought that Leah (the younger sister) was the better singer. At first Simon said no to both, and then changed it to yes to both. Paula said that she couldn't say yes to one and could only take both, so both are going. Yvette Gomez is next and she said that she could sing since she could talk, sings all the time and knew that she could sing well. Hmmm. I could sing since I could talk and sing all the time, and I sound awful. So did Yvette. Yvette was singing a song and it had the line "Daddy, Why don't you pick up the phone?" and Simon quickly interrupted and said that it was because he heard her singing. Simon went on to say it was like listening to nine cats in boiling water.
Zachary Smits, 17, looked like a hippy with torn pants. He sang I'm in the Mood for Love, and you could just see Paula preening and smiling. The kid did have a nice voice. Randy and Paula said yes, but Simon was on the fence vocally although he did think Zachary was very charming. Jessica Nelson was next, and she was swearing during her song and got beeped. Simon stops her and says its a right mess. The girl stomps out and continues being bleeped as she cries on the sidewalk. Right after that we have the contestant battle. One woman has been turned down and is talking about how she sings better than Carrie Underwood. Another woman comes out from the audition going to Hollywood. The first woman said that the second woman sang bad to which the second woman said "let's hear you sing." The first woman does and the second says that wasn't better. The first woman tells her to sing to which the second replies that she already has the paper that says she can sing. Good one.
We are now into Day 2 of the auditions in Chicago. We start with David Radford, 17. There are alot of young kids this time. David likes the standards of Frank Sinatra and Mel Torme. We see some video of David in his home, and he says that his mother is the best singer. She sings Somewhere Over the Rainbow and it was not good. So David sang, and he sounded just like a Frank Sinatra impersonator. Paula said that she thought he was one dimensional but that he was full of promise and was still going to say no to him. Simon asked how she could say no if she thought the kid was full of promise. Simon said yes, and got Paula and Randy to say yes. After the kid left, Paula said to Simon that he was just going to cut the kid when he got to Hollywood and she and Randy started joking about how Simon would mow the kid down like a lawnmower.
Paris Hilton look-alike, Crystal Parizanski, was up next. This 16 year old had an orange tan that just impressed Simon no end--and it was a positive impression. The girl could not sing at all, but I think that Simon couldn't believe that someone like 16 would look and act this way so he asked to have her mother come in. The mother had on a jean mini-skirt and halter top. Simon said that he could see where the girl got it from and told her that she was not going on. Crystal started commenting on how she didn't get to finish her song, and Paula said that they usually don't let people finish the song. Next up is Stuart Benyamin, an Asyrian who dresses in Asyrian garb and sings an Asyrian song. His outfit was weird, and he claimed that his great-uncle was the Asyrian answer to Elvis Presley. Stuart was not bad, but as Randy said, Yes to karaoke, no to Idol. Another foreigner, Yuliya Matus, who could barely speak English, auditions because she wants to get a three year performer Visa to stay in the US. Yuliya sang Bohemian Rhapsody in a thick Ukranian accent. Paula almost lost it when the girl started leaping around. Simon said that it was extradionary, but that she had an appalling singing voice. Yuliya was crying and couldn't understand that it was a no for her. Then we had Joshua and Jared Simmons, 16 year old twins. They both did a nice job, and Paula said that she was very impressed. I think that the start was slow, but that it picked up as they continued. Randy was saying yes too, but Simon said that he wondered what they would think without the twin gimmick. Anyway, the Simmons are on to Hollywood.
Finally we see crazy David Hoover (a local boy from Wexford, PA0 who believes he can talk to animals. He leaps around like a crazy man and goes into the audition in bare feet because his sandels are really ugly. His feet aren't much better on their own. Anyway he sings this song of his own creation and doesn't do that great, but Randy and Paula vote him on because he is just crazy. Simon can't believe they did it. After that we were treated to a montage of the bad singers singing Lady Marmalade. This included the Swiss Miss guy and Crystal. 15 people were picked on day 2 for a total of 34 from Chicago. Tomorrow it is on to Denver.