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

It’s down to the wire with the last two American Idols battling it out for the crown. Before the night even began I was rooting for Crystal. She’s so unique. Lee is a great singer but he isn’t different. I made the mistake of reading what others are saying around the ‘net and it got me kinda riled. General consensus is that the judges are pushing for a Lee win. Simon even predicted it and made a point of saying how Lee is what the show is all about, the little guy who needs a break. Ditto for Crystal or didn’t anybody notice? She also came from total obscurity needing a break. Win or not, both can probably bank on a career at this point so I shouldn’t be so invested in the actual winner. Tonight’s show began with me slanted toward Crystal.

When she came out Ryan asked how she was feeling. Crystal answered, “This is a lot of people!” The cameras followed Crystal and Lee as they walked the aisles toward the stage, connecting with the crowds as they went. For Crystal, they showed every flaw on her journey: dropping the microphone and not being able to find the spot she was supposed to stand in. Either Lee’s journey was smooth sailing or they chose to show only the smooth moments, because he glided thru the crowds. Were they attempting to steer us away from Crystal? I’d never been so cynical as I was tonight. In the end it didn’t matter. Their singing said it all and if an effort was made to steer the ship toward a specific star, the rudder must have broken because the ship didn’t head in that direction.

Each contestant sang three songs: their own choice, the Executive Producer’s choice, and the song they will release if they win.

Lee Dewyze

Lee’s choice was “The Boxer” by Simon and Garfunkle. This was one of his all time best performances and he got a vote from me. My girl was going to really need to send it home to beat this. Randy called it a great way to start the night but told Lee he needed to pick it up and get more energy going. Ellen said, “I couldn’t be prouder if I’d birthed you myself.” Kara agreed with Randy, and Simon said he expected a lot more passion and excitement on such a big night. He compared it to a kiss on the cheek when he wanted a kiss on the lips.

Lee’s second song was “Everybody Hurts”. I’m not familiar with the song so it was harder to get into. I noticed that the song had a choir and I’d never given much thought to that until reading on the ‘net where people claimed they used the choir to bolster a contestant. Was this another nudge for Lee? If it was, it didn’t work for him because Randy called it pitchy. Ellen noticed he was off a couple times. Kara liked that he was emotionally accessible but said it wasn’t a perfect vocal. Simon thought it was a brilliant song choice for Lee but that he’d gone off melody in some parts. Simon attributed it to nerves and told Lee that his last performance needed to be a 10 out of 10.

The last of Lee’s songs was “Beautiful Day.” It didn’t really move me and it didn’t feel like a 10 out of 10. Randy said he ended with the Lee we remembered. Ellen said he was fully present for that song and she was proud of him. Kara thought he got swallowed up but added that he’d grown the most on this show and had one of the most commercial voices. Simon repeated what he’d said prior to the show. He said this competition was designed for someone who needs a break and he genuinely wished the best for Lee. Ryan called him a “class act.”

Crystal Bowersox

Crystal chose the song “Bobby McGee” which was a great choice to remind us what we loved about her. A well known, highly popular song and an excellent way to start. Crystal came back to her roots and her core audience. She made me smile and though there was a moment where she screamed a bit, overall it was aweseome. Randy hoped she’d make a record like that. Ellen thought she was compelling on stage and called it “stunning.” Kara said she had fire in her belly and Simon said this was Crystal back at her best.

Her next song was “Black Velvet”, another well known, popular song and she sang it with more soul than the original. Crystal’s was a bluesy version. While there were a couple of pitchy moments I thought she knocked it out of the ballpark. By the producers choosing this song for her, they actually gave her a fighting chance to beat Simon’s prediction. Randy said that Mama Sox is in it to win it. Ellen felt like she was at a Cher concert with the changes in wardrobe. She said it was fantastic and gave Crystal a standing ovation. Kara said that tonight was the night to give it your all and Crystal did that. Simon said he was almost allergic to that song as he’d heard it so many times at auditions, but that Crystal took that song and absolutely nailed it. Simon added with emphasis, “I’m really impressed.”

Crystal’s first two songs were home runs. Her third song was “Up To The Mountain.” I have no idea how it was supposed to sound but Crystal sang it with a bluesy gospelly sort of sound. The song itself wasn’t my favorite but she aced it. Randy said this is what the show is all about and called it one of the greatest performances on this show. He called it “incredible.” Ellen said Crystal was unique and in a league of her own, adding that there was no artist like her right now and that her voice was clear. Ellen said, “If you make an album, I’ll buy it. If you go on tour, I’ll follow you. If you make a salad, I’ll eat it.” Ellen said we were witnessing the rise of her career. Kara said she’d finally let all the walls down and that she’d really blossomed. She called it “amazing.” Simon joined the lovefest and said it was by far the best performance of the night. He called it “outstanding.” The judges may have been on the Lee train up until now but they jumped ship tonight and were all riding the Crystal Cruiser.

Ryan hinted at the many surprises that would be on the show tomorrow for Simon’s farewell. Simon has been the cornerstone of the judging panel for nine seasons and it’s hard to imagine American Idol without Simon. They showed flashes of the other Idols of this season and I was reminded of Lilly Scott, one of my favorites of the Idols who didn’t make it into the top ten. I really hope to hear her commercially. I really liked her sound. I don’t know if she made it far enough in to actually catch a break but I sure do hope so!

Tags: american idol, bowersox, cowell, crystal bowersox, degeneres, dewyze, ellen, ellen degeneres, kara dioguardi, lee dewyze, lilly scott, lily scott, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell

Category: American Idol 2010

Revealing the final two for next week’s showdown, that’s what tonight was all about. First, however, they took us home with the three remaining American Idols.

Casey James went first to his home state of Texas. The crowds were some of the biggest I’d seen for Idols going home. He has a huge fan base and I wondered if maybe there’d be an upset. I had predicted that Casey would be voted off but after seeing his fan base, perhaps he’d make it to the final two after all.

Travis Garland came on next singing “Believe.” Perez Hilton made an appearance and said that he thought Travis was better than Justin Timberlake.

Then they showed Crystal Bowersox going home to Ohio. I was scanning the crowds for old hippies and I wasn’t the only one who made the connection because they called her concert there “Bowerstock” as a Crystallized version of Woodstock. Crystal cried that she got to sing a song she wrote herself, a song that gave hope to the city of Toledo, Ohio.

Her trip would have done Woodstock proud. Crystal signed her name on some dude’s chest and told him he’d better bathe. He said he was planning on turning her signature into a tattoo (so that it would never wash off when he bathed).

Lee’s trip home to Chicago, Illinois didn’t show quite the hoopla as Casey’s and Crystal’s trips home, making me again second guess my prediction of who would be going home. He broke down during his concert there and cried, he was so moved by the outpouring. He made it very clear during his interview with the judges and at his concert how much he wanted to win. Casey sounded like he was ready to go home and he kissed the ground when he got off the plane. Crystal was ready to go home and see her child. Lee was ready for his career, starting with winning American Idol.

While I was pondering these revelations, thinking that maybe Lee should be the ultimate winner instead of my favorite, Crystal, Justin Bieber came on and sang “U Smile” and “Baby.”

Finally the moment of truth came and Lee was sent to safety. Then Crystal was sent to safety much to her confusion. She asked, “Am I safe? Am I safe?” I don’t know if she couldn’t believe she was in the top two or whether Ryan’s wording confused her.

Casey signed off singing “Daughters” again, finishing the song with a little beribboned girl on his lap to punctuate the song. She wore pink and green ribbons and was either uncomfortable on camera or sad for Casey because she had tears in her eyes. He may not have made it to the top two but I’m not worried about Casey, I have no doubt there’s a nice career in front of him. I hope he goes back to the jam guitar type songs and leaves behind the sappy Kara songs that got him outed.

Tags: american idol, bowersox, casey, casey james, cowell, crystal bowersox, degeneres, dewyze, ellen, ellen degeneres, illinois, justin bieber, justin timberlake, kara dioguardi, lee dewyze, ohio, perez hilton, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell, texas, travis garland

Category: American Idol 2010