The big night, the grand finale, and the final goodbye for Simon Cowell, it was a big night for American Idol fans. Only 2% of the votes separated Crystal and Lee and the audience seemed to have more Lee fans than Crystal fans in it. Could this be an omen?

With the opening reminder of Simon’s farewell, Randy stood up to give Simon a standing ovation followed by Alice Cooper singing “School’s Out.”

Last year’s winner Kris Allen sang his song “The Truth.” It was a fitting start for the tribute to Simon. They showed clips of Simon’s journey on Idol and I was amazed to see Simon with longer hair, having missed the first two seasons. Simon was so moved by the clips he laughed until he had tears in his eyes. Yes, Simon with tears, pigs do fly! Even Ryan was “feeling a bit weepy” as he put it.

Siobhan Magnus and Aaron Kelly sang a love song for Simon. “How Deep Is Your Love” by the Bee Gees, who came out during the song to join the singing. There were only two of the Bee Gees brothers, Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb, both of the original Bee Gees group. The other brother of the original three, Maurice, died in 2003.

This turned out to be just the beginning of the many big singing stars that would grace the stage of the Season 9 finale. Big Mike Lynche sang “Taking It To The Streets” with Michael McDonald, member of the Doobie Brothers band from 1975 to 1995 according to Wikipedia.

Dane Cook sang a tribute to Simon which I think may have been called “Simon Said” but that’s just a guess. Dane said that Simon had the honesty of Abe Lincoln and the charm of the guy who shot him.

The top six Idol girls came out singing Christina Aguilera’s song “Beautiful”, joined by Christina herself, who went on to sing another song. It was a bad girls night with Christina and all the female Idols in black leather. Siobhan’s stockings took it, though, being some strange variety of fishnet that wasn’t fishnet.

Comedian Ricky Gervais paid tribute to Simon calling him the “king maker.” Hey, what about queens? (No, we’re not going THERE.) Ricky claimed that Simon threw away old wrinkled money and you could get rich digging thru his trash cans for it. I kept thinking that past Idol Chicken Little was named Kevin Gervais and wondered if there was a relationship. My memory was close but not close enough because Chicken Little of Season 5 was actually Kevin COVAIS. Okay, so I was close.

The top six Idol dudes came out singing “I Can’t Go For That” and “Maneater” by Hall and Oates who joined in. I smiled to be reunited with Teflon Tim if only for a song or two.

Crystal Bowersox sang a duet with Alanis Morrisette. It was an amazing duet, the two were such a perfect vocal match. We got to see almost the entire giant sunflower tattoo on Crystal’s back.

Carrie Underwood, winner of Season 4, came out singing her song “Undo It.” Carrie continued the bad girls theme wearing black leather pants. Carrie is one of the biggest superstars ever to come out of American Idol winning several Grammy awards, CMT awards, Billboard Music awards, a host of other awards and induction into the Grand Ole Opry.

Crystal and Lee were both surprised with Ford Fiestas sporting the designs each had created for the cars earlier in the season. Crystal’s had sunflowers to match her tattoo. I’m not sure how surprised they were as this seems to be the tradition for the top two Idols.

Then came the biggest surprise of the night. The surprise that brought me to tears. It was a huge moment, full of emotions on so many levels. Casey James started the song “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”. My heart stopped, this is the signature song of Bret Michaels, lead singer of the band Poison. Bret was just crowned the Celebrity Apprentice by Donald Trump just a few days ago and he’s had quite a journey these past weeks.

Bret was the underdog on Celebrity Apprentice who everyone expected to bomb out early, assuming him to be just another airhead druggy rocker. Bret, however, turned out to be the biggest surprise of the year. He’s intelligent, hard working, an excellent team player, and he’s got a big heart, especially for his daughter.

I’m not a fan of the band Poison but I’ve definitely become a fan of the man, Bret, who I’d never heard of before The Apprentice. Not only did he win the title, he did it in spite of a series of life threatening medical issues that started with appendicitis and ended with a brain hemorrhage, warning stroke, and the discovery of a hole in his heart, all while he was competing on Celebrity Apprentice. He won $390,000 for his charity, the American Diabetes Association. Bret himself has diabetes and takes four injections a day for it. During his Apprentice competition he had the scare that his daughter would be diagnosed also. He’s been on quite a ride and I was amazed to see him join Casey in the song on stage. I knew that his doctors didn’t think he should be doing anything but resting yet here he was, performing. I’m sure I’m not the only one who cried.

One thing I’ve got to say about Bret, no other contestant on Celebrity Apprentice did a better job of making sure their charity got top billing. Throughout every single episode, Bret made sure to talk about diabetes and his charity. Most of the contestants I couldn’t tell you what charity they represented but Bret, he got it out there and he kept it out there week after week. Great job, Bret Michaels!

Bret exited saying, “You rock my world!” and Lee came on with the band Chicago. Lee finally mastered the art of looking into the camera when he sings.

Enter Paula Abdul to join the Simon tribute saying that Simon is a flirt if you’re a mirror. She added that he actually really was a flirt but that his hands always ended up on his own chest.

One of the more memorable Idol wannabes was brought on to perform. Larry Platt performed his hit “Pants On The Ground”, made famous during his unsuccessful Idol tryout. He was backed by a group of dancers who ended the song literally by dropping their pants to the ground, dancing with their pants wadded up at their ankles and sporting boxer shorts.

Another Idol wannabe from a season long past made a brief appearance. Try to remember William Hung, the strange looking Chinese fellow who sang the Ricky Martin song “She Bangs.” His unusual looks and bold but horrible audition catapulted him to instant fame, a small record deal, several TV appearances and even parts in several movies.

Paula offered a long farewell full of memories and said that the judges had become America’s favorite dysfunctional family. She said that after years of sitting between two men with boobs bigger than her own, she knew she’d had enough and finally left the show. Paula blew Simon a kiss, drew him a heart in the air and said, “To sir, with love.” They played a special song for Simon: “I did it my way.” Simon responded by saying, “It’s been the best 10 years of my life. I genuinely mean this, thank you, and I’m going to miss you!”

Every American Idol winner came on stage after Paula’s farewell with the exception of one: David Cook. The rest were there: Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, and Kris Allen.

Simon said a few words and talked about his replacement judge. He said that the judges of American Idol were the voters who watched the show, motioned to the Idol winners of seasons past, said that the voters had done a great job and that for himself, “It’s been a blast.”

Another superstar came on stage to perform, Janet Jackson. It was a bittersweet performance with the shadow of Michael Jackson dancing thru my memory. I was reminded of how genuinely talented the Jackson family is. The death of Michael Jackson was one of the biggest losses of the music world. I consider Michael to be one of the greatest entertainers of my lifetime.

American Idol really pulled out all the stops for this finale and for most of it, I forgot what we were there to witness: the crowning of the new American Idol. Crystal and Lee sang “With A Little Help From My Friends” with Joe Cocker. They looked so free. That’s the only way I can describe it. They sang happy and free, no more judges to impress, no more votes to contend for, just the music and the song. They both totally let go and enjoyed the moment with the knowledge that win or not, their journey was just beginning.

I was reminded of a wise old saying: “The time to worry is before you place your bet. After that, the result is out of your hands so just sit back and enjoy the game.”

The moment of truth was fast approaching and Lee appeared ready to cry regardless of the outcome. He could barely contain his emotions. Crystal Mama Sox stood by him in an attempt to give him a shoulder. The verdict was read and Lee DeWyze was declared the ultimate winner of American Idol Season 9.

He was so moved that he could barely speak. His first words were, “Oh my god!” Ryan asked how it felt to be the new American Idol and Lee answered in a shaky voice, “I don’t know! It’s amazing! There are no words to describe the feeling. Oh my god!”

I have no doubt that both Lee and Crystal will go on to great success. Not every Idol achieves big success but I believe that these two will. Lee has the heat, the drive, the desire, and the voice. Crystal has incredible talent and the ability to inject the clearest crystals of soul into her songs, which become “Crystallized” by her voice. I don’t know how much drive she has being divided between her child and the road to success, but we’d surely miss out on a rare songbird if she didn’t take the road. Good luck to you both, Crystal and Lee! You both truly have earned it!

Tags: aaron kelly, alanis morrisette, alice cooper, american idol, andrew garcia, barry gibb, bee gees, benami, bowersox, bret michaels, brown, carrie underwood, casey james, celebrity apprentice, chicken little, christina aguilera, cowell, crystal bowersox, dane cook, david cook, degeneres, dewyze, didi benami, doobie brothers, ellen, ellen degeneres, fantasia barrino, garcia, hall and oates, james, janet jackson, joe cocker, jordan sparks, kara dioguardi, katie stevens, kelly, kelly clarkson, kevin covais, kris allen, lacey brown, lee dewyze, lynche, magnus, michael lynche, michael mcdonald, miles, paige miles, pants on the ground, paula abdul, ricky gervais, robin gibb, ruben studdard, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell, siobhan magnus, stevens, taylor hicks, tim urban, william hung

Category: American Idol 2010

The Idols all looked utterly miserable as they faced results night. At least being voted off at this point doesn’t take them off tour. However, being voted off this early doesn’t give them as big a leg up in their career.

The show opened with Simon being compared to the Kraken (a big, mean monster) in Clash of the Titans. Then Ruben Studdard, winner of Season 2, came out and performed. He’d lost a lot of weight and attributed it in part to becoming a Vegan (vegetarian). The whole time he was singing I kept thinking how big he was, like Big Mike, and I wondered who was bigger. I guess I wasn’t the only one because they brought Big Mike out to stand next to Ruben and believe it or not, Ruben won. Amazing!

Big Mike was sporting a pony tail. Hair comes and goes when you’re on stage, doesn’t it? Glue it on, peel it off, dye it pink. The pony tail looked blonde to me but Ryan called it a pink squirrel’s tail. Surely Big Mike wasn’t sporting a pink pony tail?

Finally they started the countdown to the bottom three. Lee Dewyze was first up. He attributed his successful night to finally relaxing, not worrying over the judges or being on stage and just letting loose to do what he would normally do which is feed off the audience. Relax and ye shall rise to the top because Lee was pronounced safe.

Casey James was up next. Casey’s secret to success was to go with the flow, pick songs he likes, and just give it his all. It worked because Casey was also pronounced safe.

Aaron Kelly had to sit through the judges discussing his love life and asking whether he’d ever been in love at such a young age. Simon finally let him off the hook by saying it wasn’t the Oprah Winfrey show. He was sent to safety to ponder singing love songs if you’ve never been in love.

Siobhan Magnus and Katie Stevens were called out side by side. I feared for Siobhan to be paired with Katie because Siobhan is so much more talented and entertaining, I thought surely it could only mean that there’d be an upset and Siobhan would be first in the bottom three. When asked about the judge’s harsh critique of her last night she answered, “It’s not my favorite Idol moment…” and added that she wasn’t defeated. She was right. No defeat for her this week because it was Katie who was sent to the stools while Siobhan cried tears of relief. Simon expressed his frustration that Katie wasn’t taking their advice.

Ryan announced that next week’s theme was the Lennon McCartney songbook. I know they’ll have fun with that! I sure will! Usher came out singing “OMG” from his Raymond vs. Raymond CD. I’m not a big fan of the song but I’ve got to hand it to him, Usher definitely has the flash and the dance moves. I’ll bet he blows ‘em away in concert.

Didi Benami was the next to get the news. They talked about how much better she did when she played the guitar and asked why she’d stopped playing the guitar. She said she was still basically a beginner on guitar and just wasn’t comfortable enough with it to bring it every time. The voters must have missed the guitar too because she was the next one sent to the stools.

Big Mike was next up with Ellen telling the world she called him Tiny Mike for his big, sensitive heart. I’m not sure I understood that right as it makes no sense to me but hey, we’re talking about Ellen who talks about Snookie’s Poof and compares the Idols to bananas. Mike was declared safe and he picked Ryan up off the floor and held Ryan up almost over his head.

Earlier they’d talked about Crystal playing the piano instead of the guitar. Apparently she’d taken lessons at one point but switched to a guitar because you can pick up a guitar and carry it around with you. I much prefer her with the guitar. Either way, Crystal Bowersox was sent to safety while Tim Urban and Andrew Garcia got called up side by side which is the kiss of death for one of them. They talked about Tim’s smiling in the face of the judges critique and he replied, “Every time I step on stage it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.” I love his attitude and was sad to see him sent to the bottom three while Andrew went to safety.

Diddy was the next big entertainer to take the stage with his song, “Hello Good Morning”. He didn’t have the moves that Usher had and for the most part, his show was mostly smoke and mirrors, literally. If you can’t move me with the song you need to move me with the visuals. It didn’t move me.

They finally got down to the fate of the bottom three and Katie was sent to safety leaving Tim and Didi. Teflon Tim smiled while Didi looked utterly miserable. The smile really does help him because I wanted him to stay just for that reason. It’s hard to stick it to someone who keeps on smiling. There’s a life lesson in that.

It wasn’t the first time that Tim stood in the bottom two. He was there with Paige just one week ago and survived it. This week he survived the cut again and Didi was the American Idol to be sent home. She sang “Rhiannon” for the Judge’s Save. As hard as the judges have been on her through the weeks I didn’t anticipate a save for her. The judges could be seen in the background talking and laughing which was the kiss of death for Didi. It meant they weren’t having a truly serious debate and were just passing the time. The song ended and Simon told her that while it was a million times better than what she’d done last night, it didn’t save her. So the axe fell for Didi Benami.

Tags: aaron, aaron kelly, american idol, andrew, andrew garcia, benami, bowersox, casey, casey james, cowell, crystal bowersox, degeneres, dewyze, diddy, didi benami, dirty money, ellen, ellen degeneres, kara dioguardi, katie stevens, lee dewyze, lynche, magnus, michael lynche, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell, siobhan magnus, stevens, tim urban, urban, usher

Category: American Idol 2010

This week’s theme of Soul and R&B was literally Ushered in by the artist himself, Usher. As a mentor, he seemed to genuinely want to offer helpful advice though the advice was often the same for several Idols on how to connect with the audience.

Siobhan Magnus

Siobhan ushered in the evening singing the Chaka Khan song “Through The Fire” in a dress and big, bulky boots. I loved the look of the boots with a dress, somehow that so suited her. She different and that’s a good thing. Usher thought she had a “unique vocal ability” and normally I agree but tonight she was off her usual game. The song was definitely pitchy. As always, Siobhan showed she can carry the big notes but sometimes it’s not about the big notes. I’d like to see her tone it down a bit and pick a song she can just have fun with.

The judges and I were on the same page. Randy thought it was pitchy and all over the place. He said it was not one of her shining moments and that she needed to trust herself with the big songs. Ellen compared her to “dessert before the meal”. Kara said the screaming parts worked but that the rest of it didn’t. Kara added that Siobhan has been consistent throughout the competition and that she was entitled to an off night. Simon thought it sounded like she was trying to sing while out of breath from running a marathon. Simon is getting bored with the screaming at the end. Siobhan answered, “Even if I didn’t kill it, I wanted to prove I was willing to try,” to which Simon replied, “You slaughtered it.” This was the first time the judges were hard on her and poor Siobhan could barely hold back the tears. I hope she’s not too hard on herself because as Kara said, one off week out of several is a pretty good batting average.

Casey James

Casey seems to be in his element these days. He just totally lets go and just follows his flow. He offered up the Sam & Dave song “Hold On I’m Coming”. Casey called this type of music his roots and Usher said that win or not, Casey was definitely an Idol to keep your eye on. Casey just looks so completely comfortable and at ease when he sings. The music just flows out so naturally. The look of sheer joy lights up his face when he sings and the guitar totally nails it. I’ve never seen an American Idol hit the guitar as well as Casey does. This is definitely what he was born to do.

Randy called it another hot night for Casey. Ellen said he was always so consistent, so good, but that the song felt a little generic for her, a little too safe. Kara believes he isn’t showing the range he is capable of. She wants him to show her everything he’s got. Simon called it his strongest week so far. Simon gave him three “reallys” saying that tonight “showed a different side of you as an artist. I’m really really REALLY impressed with you.” Go Simon!

Michael Lynche

Big Mike did his warm up with that fish lips thing he does. The fish lips are becoming his signature move, like a punctuation mark to a particularly potent moment. He sang “Ready For Love” by India.Arie. Usher thought he should work on letting everybody feel his energy and to make sure to project to the back of the room. Michael is almost becoming predictable by singing love songs and I’d really like to see him try something different. He nailed the song but overall, it didn’t move me.

Randy is loving every performance and thought Big Mike was in the zone. Ellen loved it. Kara thought that he’d totally mastered the intent of the song and called it one of her favorite performances. Simon said that this was the first time we could take Mike seriously as an artist. He did add that the song itself was gloomy. After the glowing reviews from the judges, Ryan said he feared for his life whenever Mike got good feedback from the judges and pantomimed the bearhug that would follow.

Didi Benami

Then there’s Didi. This girl can’t catch a break. She sang What Becomes of the Broken Hearted, a song that was apparently near and dear to her heart. Ryan tried to pry it out of her, the dirty details of her attachment to the song. All he did was frustrate her and fill her eyes with tears to try to hold back from the cameras. Way to go, Ryan. I feel so badly for Didi. She has a beautiful voice and she’s unique but she can’t seem to find her niche. If she ever does she might blow us all away but I’m not sure she’ll last long enough to find it. This song didn’t fit her voice.

Randy wasn’t feeling it either. The whole performance flatlined for Randy. Ellen agreed that it wasn’t her best performance. Kara thought she’d lost her way. Didi started out more as a singer/songwriter and now she’s just lost. Simon compared it to “swimming in jelly”. He said it was off melody, that she was no longer contemporary, and he agreed with Kara and I that Didi had lost her way.

Tim Urban

Tim Urban shook off the doom and gloom and brought a big smile to the stage earning the nickname “Teflon Tim”. Even when the judges are beating up on him, Tim just shines on with a great big smile. When asked why he was always smiling even after the judges cremated him he answered, “I had a blast singing and I wasn’t going to suddenly be depressed because Simon didn’t like it.”

Usher made the attempt to teach Tim how to be believable with the song he’d chosen, “Sweet Love” by Anita Baker. The effort totally failed. Tim tried to sing into the camera, a ploy that has worked for many an Idol such as Constantine Maroulis, one of the masters of the trade of working the camera. Tim however, is totally missing something when he tries. Not only does it not work for him, it hilights his negatives. Tim needs to stick with happy, joyful songs to match the big smile. Tonight it was like a high school kid at a prom, grabbing a microphone and singing to some girl in the hopes of getting lucky.

Randy compared him to a singing waiter adding that he was in tune but that there was no vibe, no swag to the song and that Tim needed to put a little grease on it. Not sure what he meant by that but okay, Tim, grab your grease and slide across the stage to another week. Ellen said she heard there was a drinking game going on where every time she called him “adorable” the viewers would have to drink a drink. The judges were in a weird way about Tim tonight. Ellen said he was walking like he was sneaking into a bedroom. It wasn’t clear whether the sneaking involved stealing something or having sex but if you add Randy’s grease… okay, I cannot imagine Tim that way so I’m not going there! Kara said he took the soul right out of the song. Simon compared him to a mouse picking a fight with an elephant and commented on the Teflon Tim smile to which Tim replied of the judges in general, “They’ve picked on me for a lot of things but I never expected it to be about smiling.” You just keep on smiling, Tim, because it’s one of your strong suits.

Andrew Garcia

Andrew took on “Forever” by Chris Brown. While it was one of his better performances it just didn’t do it for me. I keep hoping he’ll come out and wow me but it never happens. Randy, however, called it his best performance in a long time and said that “Andrew is back!” Ellen called it a strong performance. Kara said that nothing made her happier than to say that this was one giant leap in the right direction. Simon said it was miles better than the last couple weeks but that Andrew, as a person, came off as very boring. Simon predicted that Tim would make it through to next week because he wasn’t boring, making the point that personality is important.

Katie Stevens

Katie has totally continued the makeover which bumped her up a notch. She sang the Aretha Franklin song “Chain of Fools”. The song felt too old for her but it definitely did show off her strong voice. I’m beginning to think maybe she needs to match her voice and not her age because no matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to match her age.

Randy called it one of the best vocal performances of the night and compared her to a young Christina. Ellen commented that she always sounded so mature. Kara thought she’d found her niche but that she needed to be younger and more commercial. Simon thought she came across as robotic and cold, totally disagreed with the comparison to Christina which sparked a debate among the judges as to what genre most suited Katie. They couldn’t agree and it finally moved to the next contestant.

Lee Dewyze

Lee sang the song “Treat Her Like A Lady” by the Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose. Usher told him he had an incredible voice and that he needed to own it, that if Lee didn’t believe it neither would anybody else. Well he definitely made me believe it. This was his best yet for me and it was better than the original. I know I say that a lot but hey, I was there for the originals and I still remember them clearly. Lee has definitely found his niche and I think tonight raised him three notches on the totem pole.

Randy called it unbelievable and said it was the bomb. I think that’s the first bomb this season. Ellen called it the best performance of the night. Kara said it was amazing and could easily be a record. Did she just date herself? Today they don’t play records, they play CDs and MP3s. Simon said, “I’ve always believed in you even though you don’t believe in yourself. This is the night your life may have changed forever.” Simon’s powerful statement almost brought Lee to tears.

Crystal Bowersox

Crystal followed a different path this week coming on stage with stiletto heels and trading her guitar for a piano. Usher thought if she could make the piano second nature and pour herself into the singing she’d be incredible. She sang “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight & the Pips. It was too slow for me. I miss the more energetic songs from her, the lighter songs. This was just too heavy. Crystal totally nailed the song but it didn’t have the wow factor that most of her songs have had.

Randy called it another great performance. Ellen said, “You’re never not good. You’re always great.” Kara was glad she’d taken the risk and showed another side. Simon thought the choice of song was sensational but he added a warning: “Do not let this process suck the identity out of you. Don’t change into something you’re not.” Crystal answered that she wanted to prove she was a multi-faceted artist. That worked for Adam Lambert last season but I don’t believe Crystal should change it up that way. The makeover didn’t suit her nor did the song.

Aaron Kelly

Aaron finished the show with the song “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers. It’s odd how many songs chosen are 30+ years old. I wonder how many viewers were around for the originals or even realize that these songs are oldies. It’s really cool when an American Idol takes an old song and reworks it so that it’s brand new. Aaron didn’t do that but even so, Usher thought Aaron had a chance of scoring high or even winning if he played his cards right. For me, the song didn’t have enough range or melody to showcase Aaron. It was too much of a straight line.

Randy thought it was just alright and a little rough. Ellen said it was a good song choice. Kara liked it but she didn’t love it. She wished he’d gone a little higher in his register. Simon wasn’t blown away but predicted that Aaron would be safe this week.

For me, Lee and Casey owned this week, knocking Crystal from the top spot. Who’s out? Honestly it’s hard to predict this week especially since I’m so often wrong. My out picks are always radically different than America’s out picks. My personal bottom three are Didi, Andrew and Katie.

Tags: aaron, aaron kelly, american idol, andrew, andrew garcia, benami, bowersox, casey, casey james, cowell, crystal bowersox, degeneres, dewyze, didi benami, ellen, ellen degeneres, kara dioguardi, katie stevens, lee dewyze, lynche, magnus, michael lynche, miles, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell, siobhan magnus, stevens, tim urban, urban, usher

Category: American Idol 2010