Out Loud

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!

It’s a really big week. Big Mike got the only Judge’s Save last week so this week, two go home, no saves. The theme: Elvis Presley. The mentor: Adam Lambert. Adam is the first contestant ever to be called in as a mentor. His overall advice was for the Idols to put more energy into their performances. When Ryan asked what Elvis song Adam would have sung, the conversation went totally off beat with Ryan’s comment: “My tongue is not nearly as talented as yours.”

It was so totally appropriate for Adam to be the mentor of Elvis week. At home we’ve been comparing Adam to Elvis in that there is a facial resemblance. I mean look at him. The eyes, the nose, the lips, some of his expressions, there are a lot of similarities. The big difference is that Adam is far more talented than Elvis and we often say that if Adam had picked a more popular genre of music, he could easily be as big as Elvis. Since Adam was born after Elvis died, do you think there’s any chance he’s Elvis reincarnated?

Crystal Bowersox

Crystal blazed the way with the Elvis song “Saved”. Adam’s suggestion was that she needed to let her dreads down and swing them around a little. She totally got into the song but it just didn’t do it for me. Randy thought it was dope and thought it was the second coming of Bonnie Raitt. Kara loved the uptempo. Simon loved that she didn’t choose an obvious song or fall into the karaoke trap which he predicted so many other contestants would do.

Andrew Garcia

I was fixated on Andrew’s ice cream cone. He had a hanky in his pocket and a necklace or chain hanging below the pocket in a V-shape and it looked like an ice cream cone with the hanky as the ice cream. It was distracting. Andrew sang “Hound Dog”. Adam said that Andrew left him wanting more and that he was bored. His advice for Andrew was to change it and make it his own. He did do that. He slowed it down and jazzed it up and it was a good Andrew performance but it didn’t do it for me. Randy said, “That was not good karaoke.” Ellen said she “personally really did like it” and that he pulled it off. Kara told him he needed more swagger, that Elvis owned the stage. Simon called it lazy and compared it to the one part of a musical that nobody wants to see or hear. Simon said that all the coolness had been sucked out of him.

Tim Urban

Teflon Tim, who was called “Turban” this week by Ryan, sang “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You.” Adam thought Tim did some really pretty guitar music. Yes, he used the word “pretty” and encouraged Tim to end the song in falsetto. I usually enjoy Tim but this week didn’t do it for me. I was looking forward to the falsetto ending but he did not oblige. It might have saved the song. Randy said, “This may surprise you but I actually liked it.” Ellen compared him to a shot of tequila. You drink it and don’t know if you like it so you drink another. And another and another and finally decide you like it. She really enjoyed Tim’s performance. Kara called it her favorite Tim performance ever. Simon said he managed to go from zero to hero in two weeks. I did agree with Adam that it was very pretty guitar playing.

Lee Dewyze

Lee decided to go with “A Little Less Conversation (a little more action)”. Adam’s suggestion was that he smile and be more playful. Lee picked a great song and he put a little more action into it as Adam suggested. It worked. He beat the first three hands down. The song was lively and I could see it filling a dance floor. Randy said he was definitely in the zone and added, “I love where your voice is.” Ellen thought he made it sound like a brand new song. Kara had never seen him go for it so vocally and said that the vocals were fire, but she wanted to see him get looser and more playful. Simon said, “It’s all about nailing the song. That was on the money full stop.”

Aaron Kelly

Up next was Aaron with “Blue Suede Shoes”. Adam said he had underestimated Aaron and that his voice was really great. Aaron totally owned the stage and played the audience. I guarantee he hooked a few chicks with that performance. I thought he did an excellent job. The judges didn’t all agree. Randy preferred the second half to the first half but overall wasn’t enthused. Ellen said it was a big song to take on and gave him an “A” for effort. Kara thought he was out of his comfort zone and she actually liked it. Simon compared it to a high school concert and actually ranked Tim’s performance higher than Aaron’s. I felt so bad for him, Aaron looked totally crushed. I don’t think he was expecting a bad review this week.

Siobhan Magnus

Siobhan sang “Suspicious Minds”. She’s a true Elvis fan and did a report on him in the 6th grade. It didn’t help her. She changed the song, making it almost a gospel song. You could tell she was really feeling it but I didn’t enjoy it. So far still, Lee takes the night. Adam said she’s got the pipes but that she needs to add a little more energy and speed it up. She didn’t do that. Randy said, “That girl can sing!” Ellen liked the second half and said she had a beautiful voice. Kara said Siobhan has two voices and that it was confusing. Simon thought she came off 20 years older. He called it erratic and screechy. Simon said she lost who she was 2-3 weeks ago. The subject of defining her as an artist came up and she defended herself with, “If I can’t label myself, I don’t think it’s necessary to be labeled.” She sees herself as an artist who can fit multiple genres but the trouble is, when you try to do that starting out, you lose a lot of fans.

Michael Lynche

Mike, who got the Judge’s Save last week, sang “In The Ghetto”. This type of song is right up his alley, the story song, but it was too slow for me and I didn’t feel the connection. Adam thinks he deserves to get right down to the end of the competition and called him “an amazing singer”. Randy thought it was a little sleepy but called the vocals “hot”. Ellen was glad they’d saved him. Kara called it a beautiful song. Simon said it was a million billion times better than last week and one of his favorite Michael performances.

Katie Stevens

Katie was up next with “Baby, What Do You Want Me To Do?” A totally appropriate song that she sang to the judges in response to their frustrating reviews. Adam wanted her to use that frustration and throw it into the song choice and the song. He said she’s got the pipes, she’s got the look, now she has to make us believe it. Well I did believe it. I loved the outfit and I thought she did an excellent job with the song. Randy laughed and said, “Katie’s getting sassy” and said he was entertained. Ellen said it was a very horny song, further explaining that it had a lot of horns in it. Kara said, “I think you showed us judges! You showed us, girl! Good job!” Simon called it “loud”. He didn’t like the song. He said, “They (the audience) liked it so it doesn’t matter what I think.”

Casey James

Casey finished it out with the Elvis song “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”. Adam hoped he’d build an arch and give the song a climax. I don’t know if he did that but I love his voice. I heard a few rough patches but I totally enjoyed the performance. Randy didn’t see anything different but called it another solid performance. Ellen wasn’t as excited as she’d like to be. Kara said Casey was capable of brilliance but that wasn’t it. Simon called it a wasted opportunity but added that the vocals were good.

I predict Andrew, Tim and Mike in the bottom three. Remember, TWO will be sent home and there are no more Judge’s Saves.

Tonight the Idol’s had some giant shoes to fill, singing songs from the Lennon/McCartney songbook. Together they had 35 #1 hits. I wondered who the mentor would be this week and there wasn’t one. Paul McCartney, however, did send them good luck wishes from afar. Randy’s advice for this week was to “bring it”.

Aaron Kelly

Aaron started the night with “The Long and Winding Road”. Nicknamed “Yoda” by the other contestants, Aaron took on the song of the stars. I thought he did a good job but somehow it sounded a little off to me. I can’t put my finger on it. Every now and again he injected a bit of country twang which suits him very well but it didn’t save the song for me. It was a boring song before he sang it and he didn’t make it unboring.

Randy called it sleepy and wished he’d turned it into a country song. Ellen called it a “long and winding song”. Kara said that it was beginning to feel the same every week and wished he’d choose some uptempo songs for a change and move around the stage more. Simon called it boring.

Katie Stevens

Katie, who’s had five requests to the prom so far, says she’ll go with the person who can prove they’ve sent her the most votes. Katie moved a notch higher this week singing “Let It Be”. I was totally prepared not to like it but she really hooked me. I loved it. I thought it was her best week ever. She changed it up and I loved the changes. I much preferred the first part of the song where her voice was softer and more melodic. I haven’t heard that side of her voice before and I liked it.

Randy called it her best performance ever. He said, “Dude! Those were HOT vocals! That’s why you’re in the top nine.” Ellen predicted that no way would she be in the bottom three this week and called it “amazing”. Kara was very proud of Katie tonight and said she was blossoming. Simon said that tonight, she got it right. He took full credit for the improvement claiming that it was by following his suggestions that she’d done so well.

Andrew Garcia

Andrew went for an upbeat song, singing “Can’t Buy Me Love”. He may have finally beat “Straight Up” with this one. It was his best performance yet and for once, he really looked like he was having fun on stage.

Randy called it a solid performance but he wasn’t jumping up and down. Ellen declared that yes, you CAN buy love. She said the song was a lot of fun and she loved it. Kara said she hadn’t seen anything new from Andrew this week. Simon compared him to a guitarist at a wedding who decided to sing a song. He called it “irrelevant” and said that both Andrew and the band got it all wrong. Nobody mentioned his hair, which seems to get puffier every week. I kept waiting for a reference to “Snookie’s Poof”.

Michael Lynche

I wondered which love song Big Mike was going to sing, he’s been so predictable that way, but he totally surprised me by choosing “Eleanor Rigby”. Even though he sang it well, it didn’t work for me. It sounded nasal and I did NOT enjoy it. I was happy to hear it end.

Randy thought it was good enough to be on the radio. Ellen enjoyed seeing a different side of Mike. She called the song a huge risk and punctuated it with “incredible”. Kara thought it was fire. She said his vocals were amazing and that he totally sold the story. She said that Mike made that song commercial. Simon didn’t love it. He thought it was over the top and that Mike went backwards with this choice.

Crystal Bowersox

Mama Sox, as the other contestants call her, went back to her roots with “Come Together”. I was so happy to see her give up the heels and glitz and go back to being down to earth and true to herself. The other contestants said she was honest and kind. I’m glad she’s that type of person because it just fits with her whole on stage persona.

Crystal sang “Come Together” which is not one of my favorite songs. Let’s just say I wouldn’t put it on my ipod. But Crystal took the song and made me totally love it. She’s got serious talent to be able to do that. She changed it up, made it her own and totally reeled me in.

Randy said it wasn’t her best but she won him over. Ellen loved the Didgeridoo. Crystal had Ernie playing an Australian instrument called a Didgeridoo, a several foot long wind instrument sometimes described as a “drone pipe”. It looked like a giant bong and I could see goatherds calling goats with it up in the Alps. Okay, so that makes no sense but there it is. The Didgeridoo was a strange instrument indeedy.

Back to Ellen, she said she was running out of ways to tell Crystal how great she is. For Kara, it was one of her favorite performances from Crystal and she called it slinky, sexy and playful. I can’t say I saw that. Simon called it quirky and said she’d helped him prove a point on how to take an old song and make it contemporary. Simon said he could definitely hear Crystal singing this song on the radio.

Tim Urban

Teflon Tim was up next, taking on “All My Lovin’.” I liked the parts that he changed but the rest was more like karaoke for me. Randy said he was in his own category and rather than try to compare him to the other contestants, he compared Tim to Tim and said that it was a “good Tim performance”, better than the last two weeks.

Ellen called it his second best performance after “Hallelujah”. Kara said his best performances are when he has a guitar and is doing something different with the melody and tonight, he had a guitar. Simon said he wasn’t going to judge Tim on a Tim performance, preferring to compare him to the other contestants. With that opening I was expecting the worst but surprise, surprise! Simon was proud of Tim, thought he did very well and ended with “Well done!”

Casey James

Casey, who the other contestants likened to a playboy or soap opera star, chose the song “Jealous Guy”. He sang it well but the song was way too slow for my taste. It would have been better for me if he’d sped it up a lot. Overall it was forgettable. Somewhere in it he hit a note and sounded like Bob Seger. I think he’d sound really awesome singing a Bob Seger song.

Randy loved seeing the sensitive side of Casey and called the performance “heartfelt”. Ellen thought it was his best to date and called it “soulful”. Kara called it “vulnerable” and said that Casey was showing depth. Simon called him Goldilocks and said it was the best performance of the night so far. He coined a new word, “Ginormous”, in honor of the occasion. Simon was very impressed.

Siobhan Magnus

Siobhan came out with a curly top hairdo and frilly, floor length skirt. I really prefer her with simpler or younger hair styles. Tonight’s hairstyle was too old for her. I could see it on someone like Barbara Streisand. It went well with the dress and the song but for me, it just wasn’t Siobhan. It was like watching someone else, someone older and more hoity toity. One thing you’ve got to say about Siobhan is that she definitely follows her own path. Casey said she was the most interesting person he’s ever met. From Siobhan, I do not expect ordinary or hoity toity. I expect different, quirky and fun.

Randy said that nobody screams artists more than Siobhan. While he thought the song was sleepy, he loved the artistry. Ellen said she’s a big fan of people who march to the beat of their own drum. Kara said that while she hit the notes, it was restrained and polite, not what we’re used to seeing from Siobhan. Simon thought it was better than last week and liked her unpredictability.

Lee Dewyze

Lee, known as the Worry Wart of the bunch, sang “Hey Jude”. It didn’t work for me. I thought he should have changed it to fit his voice and style. A man in full Scottish dress accompanied Lee with a bagpipe. While it added a touch of flair it didn’t save the song for me. Lee, however, looked delighted overall.

Randy talked about how Lee is a bundle of nerves before every performance and told him he should stop worrying because he’s got this. Ellen loved it. Kara said there were good moments and off moments but that it was hot and she could hear it on the radio. Simon said he wouldn’t have done the bagpipes.

I predict that Tim and Siobhan will be in the bottom three. Yes, I hate to say it but Siobhan might actually hit bottom. If she gets voted off, the judge’s would likely save her. I don’t know who to predict for the third slot.

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.

Another Idol must fall. Tonight was results night and it was a biggie. The last man down doesn’t go on tour so the stakes were off the charts.

Big Mike’s wife looked much happier, laughing at a story Mike was telling. Apparently she and the baby are staying nearby in a small apartment so he is able to spend evenings with them.

Siobhan Magnus was first up. Simon had some comments about the screechy note and Siobhan said she added it last night in the hopes that it would be different enough to put her in the Top 10. Apparently it was because she made it. I’m sure if she hadn’t the Judge’s Save would have fixed it. No way she can go yet!

Paige Miles was still battling the rough voice, which helped to put her side by side with Tim Urban for the first seat in the bottom three. When Randy was asked which of the two would take the seat, he predicted Paige. But they fooled us. Instead of sending just one, both Tim and Paige were sent to the bottom three stools. No doubt a sigh of relief went through the others with only one seat left to fill. Tim said he wouldn’t have done anything different in hindsight, that he’d had great fun last night and felt the need to expand his horizons, which he surely did.

They left Lee Dewyze and Casey James hanging, waiting for their results the whole time Paige and Tim were getting theirs. Lee and Casey had been told to stand up earlier but were never freed from their torment. The announcement was made that next week would bring Usher, soul and R&B.

Miley Cyrus played the piano and sang “When I Look At You” to a backdrop of trees draped with Spanish moss and twinkling with starry lights. Swamp fog came rolling in as she sang, showing her off as the perfect Southern Belle from the bayou. Okay, so she’s not from the bayou, she’s from Nashville, but it still was an interesting theme.

Miley believes that the judges aren’t as rough as we might think, that they are simply offering tough love in the hopes of helping the contestants grow. Tough love must have worked for Lee and Casey because they were finally sent to safety.

Aaron Kelly made it to the Top 10 without much fanfare as Simon had predicted the night before.

Then it came to Didi Benami, who’d gotten the brunt of the judge’s harshness for several weeks running. She said the judges often confused her with their comments. She definitely did something right because she got the thumbs up for the Top 10. Was it the flirtiness? Did she tickle the fancy of men to be poking their fingers at the telephone keys?

Michael Lynche played the opposite end of the spectrum, selling love instead of sex. If you believe in love you have to vote for Big Mike because it’s all over him when he sings, and love is in the air for Mike who took the next love seat in the Top 10.

Crystal Bowersox got called up next. Randy reminded us that Kara wanted Crystal to lose the guitar while Simon loved the guitar and wanted it to stay. Randy asked, “Who do you listen to?” Crystal broke into an impish smile and answered, “Me!” She dropped a hint for us to expect something different from her next week and yes, we’ll definitely be seeing her again.

That left Katie Stevens and Andrew Garcia fighting for the last spot in the bottom three. I just knew it would be Andrew, who underwhelmed the judges and who’s had more bad weeks than good weeks since the Paula song. Somewhere that dude’s got a bunch of voters because against all odds, he was sent to safety while Katie took the last hotseat from which someone would be sent packing.

They didn’t leave her in suspense however, Katie was the first of the bottom three sent back to safety, leaving Tim and Paige to sweat it out while Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas took the stage singing the “Make A Wave” song. The crowd loved them, squealing with glee to show their approval.

Finally it was time for the bad news. Tim and Paige were left to sweat it out for who was going home. To his absolute amazement, Tim was sent to safety leaving Paige Miles to sing in hopes of a Judge’s Save.

Tim, the underdog who wasn’t supposed to even be in the finals, and who has taken such a beating from the judges, fought his way into the Top 10 proving that all things are possible in this world. His 110% effort week after week paid off. Way to go, Tim!

Before Paige could sing for hope, Simon figuratively threw a glass of ice cold water on her dreams telling her that no singing would save her, that it was the end of the road for her. They made a pretty big deal out of it being unanimous. Geez, they could have at least let her believe that someone might have argued on her behalf. I felt so bad for her. Yes, she had some rough weeks but truly, it should have been Andrew. He was the weakest link. Paige, I do wish America would agree with me more often because you would have been there. May your journeys continue to a joyful place of songs. Good luck!

So our Top 10 American Idol’s are: Lee Dewyze, Tim Urban, Aaron Kelly, Crystal Bowersox, Michael “Big Mike” Lynche, Andrew Garcia, Katie Stevens, Casey James, Didi Benami, and Siobhan Magnus. Let the singing begin!

Week 2 of the battle for America’s vote for the ultimate American Idol payed tribute to the Billboard chart toppers. Ryan dropped the tidbit that since the show’s inception in 2002, Idol hits have hit the Billboard #1 spot 261 times. Themes like this leave it wide open for the Idols to really show their stuff with no limits. No one should ever bomb out on wide open theme nights.

Bombing out this week takes them out of the loop for the tour. Simon made the comment that not only would the person voted off miss out on the tour but that they’d lose a lot of money as well. Only the top 10 American Idols will go on tour so let’s see how they played it out.

Lee Dewyze

Lee started the night off with the song “The Letter” by the Box Tops. He was so much more animated on stage than in previous weeks. He was so much more connected to the audience and maintained eye contact most of the way through. He even smiled. The audience must have felt it because he got a major ovation. I wasn’t blown away by the song choice but he sang it well. I fully expect to see him in the top 10. Randy called it a bluesy soul version and that he’d “knocked it out of the box”. Ellen compared him to her favorite pen, the pen you love so much that when it runs out of ink you light a match under it in the hopes of coaxing out just a little more ink. She said her “favorite pen” was back. Kara said he’d raised the bar for himself and that he’d made tremendous progress. Simon said it definitely wasn’t a recording performance and that Lee was missing the point. Simon said it didn’t define him as a contemporary artist.

Paige Miles

Paige was still battling laryngitis and it showed. She sang the Phil Collins’ song “Against All Odds”. Paige has a solid voice but tonight was the worst I’ve ever heard from her. The song was totally the wrong song choice. The entire song sounded off key and pitchy. It was all over the place and I don’t think she ever hit a good note. I felt so bad for her. She’s definitely got talent but for her to bomb so badly tonight, I think she might be in big trouble. Randy was almost speechless, starting out with “Yo man. Yo. Wow!” and finishing with “That was terrible!” Ellen didn’t want to touch it. She told Paige she looked beautiful (which she did) and then turned it over to Kara and Simon for the music critique. Kara told her that somewhere along the way she’d stopped competing and that this was the worst vocal we’d ever heard from her and possibly the worst vocal of the season. Simon compared her to Sybil but not in so many words. He said, “It was like there were 5 of you singing that song.” He thought it was all over the place and predicted that she was in serious trouble, sealing her fate with the comment: “That song has just killed you.”

Tim Urban

In an incredibly brave move, Tim Urban tackled the Queen song “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” He put down his guitar and worked the audience, at one point sliding across the stage on one knee. He’s a fighter, no doubt about it. He’s definitely fighting hard to stay in from week to week. It wasn’t my favorite vocal from him but it’s obvious that he takes whatever suggestion is offered and runs with it. I give him 110% for effort. Randy said “the dopest thing you did was the slide” but thought that the vocals were boring. Ellen noted that he had a huge fan base which would probably save him but that it felt like he was auditioning for a high school musical. Kara didn’t think he’d done anything with the song and she didn’t like how he worked the audience as if he’d already made it. Simon thought it was completely pointless and silly, that he had a zero chance of winning, and that he needed singing lessons.

Aaron Kelly

Aaron sang the Aerosmith song “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”. Apparently he’d caught Paige’s laryngitis and raised her with tonsilitis. It didn’t stop him from getting a hug from Miley Cyrus who was the Idol’s mentor this week. It was hard to imagine someone so young and innocent tackling an Aerosmith song but he totally pulled it off. Adding a bit of a country twang, it was a good song choice for Aaron though a bit pitchy here and there. It earned him a major ovation from the audience. Randy said it wasn’t a perfect performance but that it was better than the previous two (Paige and Tim) and that he was a fan. Ellen thought it was the perfect song choice and noted that he was usually pitch perfect and that obviously the illness had affected his singing. She added, “I can see your career already.” Nice touch, Ellen! Kara called it “the best song choice of the night” (so far, of course). She noticed the country twang and loved that he’d shown more stage presence. Simon called it brave but too old fashioned for someone his age. He did predict that Aaron had zero chance of going home.

Crystal Bowersox

Crystal chose the song we’d all been waiting to hear her sing, “Me and Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin. She didn’t disappoint. Crystal actually brought tears to my eyes though I can’t explain why. She took me back to the sixties as if I were really there. Every week she comes out and totally blows me away. For me, the entire song was a wow moment and the audience must have agreed because she got a major ovation, biggest of the night. Randy said, “That’s what’s called being a star!” and said that Crystal was what American Idol is all about. Ellen wanted to see more connection. She said, “These people love you. Take it all in and respond.” Ellen said that the audience wants to share and that Crystal just needs to let people in. Kara wants her to give up the guitar and let go completely. Simon wouldn’t change a thing (and neither would I). He said it was as good as the best version of that song. He liked that she wasn’t gimmicky, sliding across the stage (taking a jab at Tim) and that her only gimmick was the carpet. She performed on a small square of carpet. I don’t know if it’s always there or was put there at her request. All I know is that I’d buy her singing that song. That makes two songs of hers I’d buy.

Michael Lynche

Michael crooned another love song, “When A Man Loves A Woman”, no doubt in honor of his wife. You can feel the emotion when he sings this type of song. He puts his whole heart into it. His wife is his muse, his inspiration, but I’m not sure she was feeling the love because when they panned the camera out to her she didn’t look very happy. I always worry about Idols with families. I cringe when an Idol comes out showing their beloved spouse and children because if they actually do hit it big, the fame will tear their family apart. Being a singer means being on the road away from your family most of the time. Single parents are the worst because nothing good can come for the children if that one parent goes missing. No amount of money could surely replace being a parent though I know the Idol hopefuls disagree. Whatever Mike’s wife was feeling in that moment, Michael himself fully connected with the song. Randy loved it but said it wasn’t his best vocal. Ellen called it a safe song choice and compared it to driving the speed limit. Kara said that while it was technically good, it was also boring and safe. Simon thought it was overboard. He said it was like craving one scoop of ice cream but getting eleven. He called the performance loungy and said that Michael needed to be more relevant. Once Simon had his say, he turned to someone (Ryan?) and gave them a thumbs up for allowing him to have his say without interuption.

Andrew Garcia

Andrew tried the Motown hit “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye. He had decided to take a risk by putting the guitar down so that he could connect with the audience. He moved around the stage and gave it an effort but for me it just didn’t work. While this was definitely one of his better vocals it still fell flat and I just don’t see him as American Idol material. While others also had bad weeks this week, overall Andrew just doesn’t do it and I think if someone should be voted off, it really should be him. Randy said, “Oh dog, man… it wasn’t good.” Randy thought it was not the kind of vocal for Andrew. Ellen said it was the wrong song choice but hoped his fans would vote for him. Here’s where I get irritable. Ellen saying that might keep him in which wouldn’t be fair to the more talented singers such as Paige, who is having a bad week for battling laryngitis. Overall Paige has done so much better and deserves the spot. Kara doesn’t know what to do with him and said he just keeps chasing that moment (from Straight Up) but never catching it. Simon thought that maybe they’d overrated the Straight Up performance. Simon said, “You sucked the soul out of that song and tortured it.” He thought Andrew’s problem was that he didn’t know who he was as an artist.

Katie Stevens

Even Katie deserves the spot more than Andrew. I don’t know if she reads this blog but she absolutely took my advice to heart and gave up the little girl recital dresses and underwent a clothing makeover. The new outfit definitely worked. She sang the Fergie song “Big Girls Don’t Cry”. While I totally applaud the outfit makeover I wasn’t a big fan of the song. It was too copycat, almost a clone of the original and not quite as good, though she did get close. Randy called it sharp and pitchy but was happy that she’d chosen a younger song. Ellen called it her best performance so far and said she was like the Dakota Fanning of American Idol. I don’t see that. Dakota is pretty amazing and I think if I had to choose one person to compare to Dakota, it would be Crystal for her consistently solid performances. Kara said that while she did have pitch issues, this pop with R&B leanings was where Katie belonged. Simon thought that Katie meeting Miley Cyrus was the best thing that could have happened to her.

Casey James

Casey offered up the Huey Lewis song “The Power Of Love”. I’m not a big fan of that song but I LOVED what Casey did with it. Contrary to what the judges thought, for me it was definitely different than the original. Maybe it was because Casey has a different voice for it, maybe it’s the country twang he injects, I don’t know but it definitely worked for me and I liked it better than the original. Casey wasn’t competing, he was already there as if he were performing in concert for his fans. He looked so at ease and comfortable, smiling as he sang. This song really showed off his voice and it may be my favorite of his performances. Great job, Casey! The audience must have agreed because he got a major ovation for it. Randy said he was “the best musician guitar player we’ve ever had” but wasn’t overjoyed with the song choice. Ellen wasn’t a fan of the song choice either. Kara said he was definitely ready to make an album. Simon was a total downer, saying it was identical to the original and comparing him to an 80s cover band. My suggestion for Casey: Don’t forget to hold up your fingers and ask for the vote!

Didi Benami

Didi sang the Linda Ronstadt song “You’re No Good”. During rehearsals she said she was going to sing the song to her nerves as they are her biggest issue. This is a hard song because it lacks melody, but I’ve got to hand it to her, Didi added the melody that was missing from the original. She got quite flirty with the audience and the men will surely love her. My fella certainly did! Randy loved the idea of it except for the pitches. Ellen thought it was the wrong song choice but still is a fan of Didi’s. Kara felt like Didi was playing a character. Okay now THAT pissed me off. Kara has been telling people for weeks to be the song and not to choose songs that don’t fit their life experience. Now someone gives it their all to be the song and Kara smashes them for it. Simon rarely makes me angry because he’s usually right on but Kara has really been irking me this season, giving a lot of harsh criticism where it doesn’t belong. Simon did also critique Didi comparing it to “the bad part of a musical” and telling her that she was falling into the Lacey trap. Didi took the harsh critique with good grace which is always a plus for the Idol. Overall Didi reminds me of a doll from an old gangster movie.

Siobhan Magnus

Siobhan pulled the last straw again and got to finish out the show with the Stevie Wonder song “Superstition”. Wow, what a makeover she came out with! From head to toe Siobhan sported a whole new look and hairstyle. While I really liked her old hairstyle with the headband, I must say that the new look is probably more fitting for where she’s trying to go. The new look definitely added to her stage presence but it wasn’t my favorite song for her. She absolutely nailed the song but it lacked the wow factor that she usually brings to a song. She did, however, inject the screechy note that she’s become famous for. Apparently she’d sing a whole song in the screechy note if she could. I really do not like the screechy note. However you slice it she got a thumbs up from Miley. Randy called her “fearless” and loved her conviction. Ellen loves her and wants more, please. Kara loves how she expresses herself and calls the end note “amazing”. Simon said that while some would like the performance, many would not. In his diatribe he said that Crystal was in a different league.

Who’s in danger? The closest thing to a prediction was Simon telling Paige she was in serious trouble and that the song had killed her. I believe that the bottom three will come from Paige, Andrew, and then Katie or Tim. My choice is Andrew for the fall guy because he has consistently fallen short. I really believe the others deserve to move forward and it would be a travesty if he took a top 10 spot.

It’s St. Patrick’s Day and according to Ryan Seacrest, the luck of the Irish would only be with 11 people this evening. This year they’ll be doing the judge’s save again. One time and one time only, the judges can save someone who gets voted off. The decision to save must be unanimous. If even one judge says no then it ain’t gonna happen. The save goes away when it gets down to the top 5. After that the fate of each American Idol is totally in the hands of the voters.

David Cook, the winner of American Idol season 7, performed the Rolling Stone’s song “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”. He can definitely rock it and he did the Stones proud. David is working on a new album and he’s really excited about it. He was invited to participate in Idol Gives Back and he’s going to Africa for the event. David was the winner of the Castro/Noriega season, beating out the judge’s favorite, David Archuleta. I was voting for Cook that season. Brooke White was my second fave that year.

The results started rolling in with Paige Miles as the first in the bottom 3. Lee Dewyze was pronounced safe. Simon nodded as if pleased. Siobhan Magnus was pronounced safe. Ellen made the comparison to Adam Lambert as she’d done before.

After comparing Aaron Kelly’s hairdo of the previous night to Ellen’s, he was declared safe. He and Siobhan hugged. Andrew Garcia somehow made it through to safety while Tim Urban went sent to the second seat in the bottom 3. What a bummer! That put me at two wrong for my predictions.

Results were put on hold for Australian singer Orianthi to take the stage with her song “According To You”. Apparently she was slated to be the guitarist for Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” concerts.

The results continued with Didi Benami, who shared that she follows her intuition when picking songs. Her intuition led her to the safe seat along with Crystal Bowersox.

Katie Stevens was up next. Ryan talked about Kara’s prediction from early on that Katie could be the ultimate winner but now, Kara wasn’t sounding quite as enthused. Kara sees her as a pop R&B singer while Simon sees her doing country. It wasn’t clear whether Simon was serious or joking. Either way, she was declared safe.

Michael Lynche was sent to safety after telling us, “I’m here for the people. I love the people!” I think the people love him back.

Casey James was sent to safety leaving Lacey Brown to round out the bottom 3.

Lacey, Tim and Paige were the bottom 3 for the week. The first one sent back to safety was Tim, who had a look of utter shock as before. Nobody could ever accuse Tim of thinking he had it in the bag!

Lacey and Paige were left hanging while Ke$ha, who they called a “breakout star”, sang her song “Blah Blah Blah”. Definitely not my cup of tea. ‘Nuff said.

Ryan finally announced the name of the Idol who didn’t have the luck of the Irish this day. Paige went to safety while Lacey got the bad news. She sang “The Story” in the hopes of being saved but no big surprise, the judges didn’t use their one save. I don’t think anyone would expect them to use it up so early in the game.

I know that somewhere there is a place for Lacey. You don’t have to win to make it big as past Idols have proven. If I were going to put Lacey somewhere, it would be surrounded by children. I see her entertaining children in some way. I’m sure that’s not how she sees herself but I think she’d really be good at it. Perhaps a singer/storyteller?

Week 1 of the battle for America’s vote for the ultimate American Idol payed tribute to the Rolling Stones, one of the greatest Rock and Roll bands of all time. Can this group of idols rock it out to such legendary songs?

Michael Lynche

Michael opened the show with Rolling Stone’s song “Miss You”. Big Mike definitely showed his pipes on this song, adding a good bit of falsetto and totally changing the dynamics of the song. My favorite so far of all of Mike’s performances. Randy thought he slayed it. Ellen said, “At some point I’m going to be disappointed but not yet.” Kara thought he delivered the swagger and attitude of Mick Jagger. Mike definitely delivered, but I wouldn’t compare it to Mick Jagger. Their styles are radically different. Simon poked a hole in Mike’s balloon, agreeing that he “sang it well” but added that the dancing was a little bit corny and overall the performance was “a tiny bit desparate”. Leave it to Simon to end with such a positive note.

Didi Benami

Didi was next up. For me she’s been struggling through the weeks, never quite making herself believable as a pop singer. As with all the Idols they showed childhood mug shots and family clips including “Mommy Benami” in tears saying she couldn’t bear to watch her Didi get judged so she turned down the volume when the judge’s started to talk. Didi sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Play With Fire”. She definitely lost her innocence with this performance attempting to show her bad boy side but for me, it didn’t work. The song was sleepy. The judges didn’t agree. Randy said she was on fire for the first time in weeks. Ellen noticed that she made the word “fire” into two syllables. Kara thought that the sweetness of Didi’s voice coupled with the eerieness of the song was a good combo, adding that Didi took two steps in the right direction. Simon called it a “solid performance”.

Casey James

According to Casey’s mother, he could hum before he could talk. Casey wasn’t humming for this song, however, giving us a country version of the Rolling Stone’s song “It’s All Over Now”. I’m not a country fan but I absolutely loved it. I believe Casey would make a great country singer if he wanted to go down that road. He hasn’t quite offered up his chosen direction but then, most of the Idol’s haven’t. The few exceptions really stand out. Randy called it “bluesy, stonesy, rocky” and thought he could make a career out of it. Ellen called it fantastic. Kara said it was his best performance since they day he auditioned and called him a “rock star”. Simon, however, thought it was more like an audition performance and said he didn’t use the stage. For the most part, the Idol’s aren’t owning the stage which is something they really need to do. The exceptions stand out. Casey, who played his guitar, expected the judges to eat him up for his guitar. They didn’t.

Lacey Brown

Lacey followed Casey with the Rolling Stone’s song “Ruby Tuesday”. She definitely sported a dangerous look but the song came out more like a sweet lullabye to the string quartet that accompanied her. So far, her voice has lacked the power needed to grab my ears. She has such a beautiful voice but she sounds like a little kid singing, getting lost in the background. She needs to belt them out a little harder. For Randy, there wasn’t a wow moment but he was pleasantly surprised and called her “the most interesting one of the night”. With so many contestant’s left to perform we couldn’t know if he still thought that by night’s end. Ellen noticed that Lacey liked to sit on the edge of things and offered up the advice that Lacey shouldn’t ever go to the Grand Canyon. Kara liked the drama but said she didn’t hit the notes quite right. Simon thought she performed more like an actress than a singer and said she was in danger of doing the same thing week after week.

Andrew Garcia

Andrew came out with Rolling Stone’s song “Gimme Shelter”. Interesting that 8 of the 12 songs chosen were off the Hot Rocks double CD. (I caught that as I happen to own the CD set. They missed my favorite song from the set, “Mother’s Little Helper”.) While it was one of Andrew’s better performances I couldn’t connect with it. I can’t put my finger on what was wrong but I just felt totally disconnected from both Andrew and the song. Randy thought it was pitchy everywhere. Ellen thought it was one of his better performances. Kara and I were on the same page. She said it was missing the connection and that she just didn’t feel it. Simon said it was obvious that Andrew had given it 100% and hoped he’d stick around another week, but thought he’d done much better with the song in rehearsal. Maybe Andrew is battling nerves. I tried Karaoke once totally expecting to nail it but when I got up there, it was HARD singing in front of the people. My friends could only say that I had “picked a hard song”… gentle speak for “you suck, man!”

Katie Stevens

As you all know, I’m not a Katie fan but if she’d nailed it, I’d tell you that. Katie came out dressed like a little girl in a lacy dress getting ready to perform at a children’s recital to sing a Rolling Stones song. The combo was a complete failure for me. Katie has a good voice but it’s really hard to take her seriously. She sang “Wild Horses” sitting on a stool. I could hear echoes of Simon’s comment last week about the boring songs sung by contestants sitting on stools. The judges were a little softer. Randy thought she “sang it well” and that it was a “strong performance”. Ellen thought that once Katie got into it that it sounded great. Kara said that it was never technically perfect but that she’d done better than last week. Simon said that this was the only week where she’d chosen a “really strong song”.

Tim Urban

Our favorite underdog Tim Urban sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Under My Thumb”. Not that I’m rooting for him to win because that spot should be for Crystal or Siobhan, but there’s an appeal for this fellow who Simon thought was a mistake. Tim has fought hard to earn his right to be on the stage and he’s made incredible progress. This week he reminded me of the teenage heartthrob’s of the 70s such as David Cassidy of the Partridge Family, Davy Jones of the Monkees, Leif Garrett and others. His style, voice and hair were totally reminiscent of the look and songs of that day. He offered us a great pop version of the song with a bit of a reggae twist. I thought it was interesting and I enjoyed it.

For Randy it didn’t work, he didn’t get it. Ellen felt like she was at a resort drinking a pina colada on the beach, relaxing to a cool song. I’m not sure this was intended as a compliment. Kara applauded him for doing something different with the song but she wasn’t gushing with the praise, either. Simon said it didn’t work and that Stone’s fans would be turning the TV off. I’m a Stone’s fan and I wanted to hear more. Isn’t it all about changing up a song so that it appeals to different people? Wasn’t that part of Adam’s winning strategy last year? (Yes, Adam didn’t actually win but his fame far surpassed that of the actual winner.) Tim’s defense was that he knew he couldn’t be a Rolling Stone so he played it to his own abilities.

Siobhan Magnus

Siobhan offered one of the most interesting performances of the night. She brought an actual stage set to the mix with a long staircase as her backdrop. Siobhan treated us to an usual version of the Rolling Stone’s song “Paint It Black”. Instead of making the song dark as you would expect, she started out with a sweet, almost Tinkerbell sound like a music box. While there were a couple of pitchy notes here and there, she took a song that’s hard to change and she really changed it up. I loved the changes. She ended with the screechy note that got everyone’s attention last week followed by a soft, sweet ending.

Randy said she brought drama to the night and called it “hot”. Ellen said that she rises above “like Snookie’s poof”. Apparently Snookie is a soap opera character with very big hair. For Ellen, she stands out. Siobhan gave Kara flashbacks of Adam Lambert. Simon called it the “stand out peformance of the night”. He said people would either love it or hate it and that was a good thing, because it was far better than indifference.

Lee Dewyze

Lee sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Beast of Burden”. He added more believability to the song than the Stones themselves had. I totally felt the song. Lee didn’t offer much activity on stage and if you were watching him, you’d lose sight of the song itself. You had to close your eyes and hear the song as you would on the radio and this way, he totally nailed it. Randy thought he “came home” with this song and compared him to Rob Thomas and Dave Matthews, calling it one of his better performances. Ellen was expecting more from him, and said the song didn’t quite come together, sort of like a hospital gown. Kara thought he was growing faster than any other contestant. Simon noted that Lee’s personality (or lack of) didn’t shine through but that he had an incredibly good voice. Simon hoped he’d be back next week.

Paige Miles

Paige sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Honky Tonk Woman”. She was obviously having a lot of fun with it but there was a lot of pitchiness. Paige added a country twist and for some reason, the song sounded off. So far, Siobhan was the only contestant to own the stage with only two left to perform. Randy wished Paige had shown more energy. Ellen thought she had “star quality” and made sure we all knew that Paige had voice issues this week. Apparently she was suffering from laryingitis so voter’s should take that into account. Kara said this was the Paige we originally fell in love with. Simon said she still hasn’t connected but that there were moments of the big voice we loved in Hollywood.

Aaron Kelly

Aaron sang the Rolling Stone’s song “Angie”, taking more ownership of the stage as Siobhan had done with the rising staircase as his backdrop. By far this was his best performance yet. I thought it was better than the original version. He totally connected with the song and sang it with so much emotion that I forgot how young he was. For the first time ever, I saw genuine talent in him. For the first time, I actually hope he comes back. Randy said he was “born to sing”. Ellen said that he and Siobhan were the two stand out performances of the night so far. Kara commented on her earlier negative opinions of Aaron and said, “You showed me!” She called it “very powerful”. Simon had originally feared for him, not believing he could handle a Rolling Stones song. Aaron “cleverly” pulled it off and had chosen the “100% right song” according to Simon, who called it one of his strongest performances so far.

Crystal Bowersox

Crystal closed out the show with the Rolling Stone’s song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. She was my favorite of the night which was pretty amazing since I’d totally loved several of the previous contestants. It’s refreshing that Crystal doesn’t scream songs like so many singers with powerful voices. She lets the power of her voice flow naturally. I’d buy the song exactly as she sang it. For me, she had the wow factor. The judges however, were sailing on a different boat.

Randy said it wasn’t her best but that even so, she didn’t disappoint. Ellen echoed Randy that it wasn’t her best but added that Crystal was born to be on stage. Ellen noted that for the first time, Crystal showed her personality. I agree. Crystal really shined this week actually smiling as she sang it and appearing to have fun. Kara said it was good to see her “let loose” but made a pretty big deal that previously, it felt like Crystal had the attitude that she was already the winner. I never felt that from Crystal. I always felt like she didn’t care whether she won or not until later in the competition. I believe she was protecting herself from an expected rejection but once she thought she actually had a chance, she could start opening up and let loose. Crystal defended herself to Kara by saying she never believed that she owned the competition but thanked Kara for saying it. Simon said the song didn’t have the drama and for the first time, Siobhan beat her. He’s right that the performance wasn’t as dramatic as Siobhan’s performance, but drama isn’t Crystal’s style or strength. She’s more down to earth and I truly believe she has a bright future regardless of the outcome of American Idol.

Who’s in danger? None of the judges really made a prediction. However, I believe that the weakest singers are: Didi Benami, Lacey Brown, Andrew Garcia and Katie Stevens. I expect the bottom three to come from this group and that Andrew will be voted off.

Who is out: Katelyn Epperly, Todrick Hall, Alex Lambert, Lilly Scott

Who is in: Didi Benami, Siobhan Magnus, Paige Miles, Casey James, Tim Urban, Lee Dewyze, Crystal Bowersox, Michael Lynche, Lacey Brown, Aaron Kelly, Andrew Garcia, Katie Stevens

If you’re looking for mainstream opinion on American Idol, you won’t find it here. I, for one, am glad that none of the current contestants appear to be Whitney Houston or Celine Dion wannabes. I’m not a big fan of that. This year we’ve got different and I like different. Didi, Siobhan, Crystal and Lacey, they promise to entertain us with unusual song choices in a unique voice. Lilly should have been among them. I liked her style. Mainstream thinking voted her out.

The boys aren’t really in the race yet. Now that they’re faced with this gangbuster group of girls, they’re in trouble. The boys are going to have to seriously turn up their game.

Does anybody ever wonder how the final choices are made? Of the tens of thousands who try out, only a few make it to Hollywood and you know that so many others had the talent. How do they pick which talent to support? I’m sure looks are a factor. The person has to either be very likeable, very sellable visually or entertaining in some other way. But what else?

I believe that names are a factor. Consider the year that Jason Castro and Danny Noriega both made it to the finals. Castro and Noriega? As in Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and South American dictator Manuel Noriega? While there was not likely an actual connection to the dictators, it seemed unlikely that the choice to include the two was coincidental. Perhaps it just simply amused the judges who hoped to spark some sort of controversy.

This year it was Alex Lambert. C’mon, are you serious? No way this is a coincidence. Sure, Alex can sing but no doubt others could sing better. In some way American Idol was riding the coattails of Adam Lambert with this choice. Alex Lambert didn’t make it to the top 12 in spite of his name and I genuinely felt bad for him. Like Alex, Danny Noriega from Season 7 didn’t make it to the top 12 either. I’m sure if Ellen had been a judge back then she’d have called Danny a “cocky banana”. He definitely had the attitude.

That brings me to Ellen. I’ve grown quite fond of her as a judge in spite of my earlier misgivings about her lack of musical background. However, there is something I worry about. Ellen’s fans. She’s a powerhouse of fans and if she says “I hope you’ll stick around another week” I fear that her fans will intentionally make it so. That really tips the scale with the voting and could cause a lot of upsets this season. She appears to have a soft heart and if she feels sorry for a contestant, even if they should be outed, and accidentally says those magic words, they could end up like Chicken Little of Season 5.

Chicken Little (Kevin Covais) was the nerdy, little boy contestant who couldn’t sing very well but all the grandmas wanted to pinch his cheeks and somehow, he hung in week after week. While he didn’t last long once he made it to the top 12 he did prevent other, more talented singers from making it to the top 12 such as Stevie Scott and Gedeon McKinney. Ellen has the power to catapult the weaker singers just by feeling sorry for them.

With a new judge and several singers bringing styles we haven’t heard on American Idol before, it promises to be an interesting season. The question is, will you vote? Or will you let your phone sit idle while your favorite gets voted off, like what happened to Lilly?

Ryan started the night by asking, “Who do YOU want in the top 12? We could be in for a surprise or two…” Surprises usually mean that someone who we expected to stay, is out. Surprises on American Idol are usually bad.

Didi Benami was the first to get her results. She’d been pretty nervous through the weeks because she’d never performed in front of so many people before. Well it looks like she’s going to get a lot more practice because she made it. Randy’s advice to her was to be more consistent.

Siobhan Magnus was the next up. Simon had pegged her as the dark horse during Hollywood week. The definition of a dark horse is “a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence”. I don’t know about Hollywood week but Siobhan has consistently kept me wanting more since the top 24 emerged. She isn’t emerging, for me she has already emerged. The good news is that I’m going to get to see more of her which makes me really happy. Ellen’s advice to Siobhan was to keep on doing exactly what she’s been doing.

Paige Miles and Katelyn Epperly were next up. Of the two, I couldn’t predict who’d be out. Simon said that Paige had the most potential of the two and sure enough, America agreed with Simon. Katelyn is out and Paige is in. Katelyn’s parting words were, “I’m not stopping now!”

Casey James was the first of the guys to get the news. No big surprise here, Casey made it in.

Tim Urban was up next. Usually the first two called don’t get booted and against all the odds, Tim Urban did indeed make it into the top 12. I’m guessing this was one of the surprises that Ryan hinted at before any results were given. What a happy surprise!

Lee Dewyze and Todrick Hall were called up next. One of the two would be outed. When asked which one should get the top spot, Randy thought that Lee had been the most consistent. America agreed and Lee made it. After the Queen song I actually hated to see Todrick go.

We were treated to a piano duet by two previous idols: Matt Giraud and Scott MacIntyre. Playing back to back pianos they sang Billy Joel’s song “Tell Her About It”.

Crystal Bowersox was called up next and for the first time during the entire competition, she looked worried. She’d always appeared so composed, almost as if it didn’t matter to her, seeing Crystal worried was a big surprise. The worry was short-lived as they gave the good news. Crystal is in. Simon said, “It’s yours to lose.” Crystal for me has been one of the most consistent singers, never failing to give a virtually flawless performance in a style that perfectly suits her.

No more just the guys or just the girls, Michael Lynche was next up for his news. Ryan asked if Big Mike thought he could fit onto one stool. Mike said yes and the stool was his. No surprise here, Mike made it.

For Lacey Brown this was her second shot at American Idol. If at first you don’t succeed, try again because you might be like Lacey, who secured the next spot in the top 12. I was surprised that both Didi and Lacey made it. I thought maybe one of the two had a chance but surely not both.

Aaron Kelly was up next. I just knew he’d be outed. I predicted as much after his last performance. Aaron grew up watching American Idol and now he gets to be one, because the next big surprise was that he made it.

That left Alex Lambert and Andrew Garcia for the last male slot. I guessed that it would be Andrew, who’d had so many bad weeks. Apparently the genie hadn’t come out of the bottle too late after all because much to my surprise, Andrew got in and Alex was out. I felt so badly for Alex. Try as he might he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing in front of millions of viewers. That’s gotta be hard on a guy. He believed that nervousness was his downfall and he was probably right.

By then both Siobhan and Lilly were in tears. Siobhan cried for those who hadn’t made it and Lilly just cried. Her fate was still hanging over her. The only two left were Lilly Scott and Katie Stevens. Katie had been looking like a deer caught in the headlights for most of the results, as if she knew she was out. By the time everyone else had been given the word, Lilly’s head was hung low as if she knew the bomb was going to be dropped on her. Katie appeared a little more confident standing next to Lilly.

The results were given and my immediate reaction was to let loose a four letter word. This must have been the final surprise that Ryan hinted at. My darling Lilly was out and the only girl who I was hoping wouldn’t make it, took Lilly’s spot. Lilly who always made me smile was gone. The only other idol who made me smile with every song was George Huff, of Season 3.

Lilly was devastated. I wish she’d shown more of her heart through the weeks as maybe it would have helped her. She and Crystal always seemed so closed emotionally. I don’t think Lilly expected to be voted out just yet. She said, “I don’t know what America wants to hear, but I know there are definitely people who want to jam with me.” Yes Lilly, there are. And we will miss you terribly!

It was a very emotional night. Even Crystal cried at the end when Lilly got outed. Katie cried though I imagine it was more for relief. Tears flowed everywhere and so did the hugs. For those who made it, the Rolling Stones will be the first theme to tackle. Welcome to American Idol’s top 12! Didi, Siobhan, Crystal, Lacey, Paige and Katie. Casey, Tim, Lee, Mike, Aaron and Andrew.