"Before Idol, I was lost.... Now, I've actually followed through with something. I am a better man for it!"
-- Elliott Yamin
(Today's entry is brought to you by Lindsay Hemphill)
I don’t really remember Elliott from his audition, or even Hollywood week (though I remember he was stuck with one of the Brittenum Twins from hell). But what I definitely DO remember is when he sang Moody’s Mood for Love during the early stages of the competition. I know that I sat up and took notice. I don’t remember (before or since) anyone singing something THAT hard and pitch perfect at that stage of the competition!
Elliott always had that ‘something special’ quality that made me very quickly become a fan! Week after week, he put out outstanding performances that made me say, “man, this guy is amazing!” And THEN we found out that he is 90% deaf in his right ear. AND he has diabetes. I mean, he’s a walking inspiration…with an AMAZING voice!
I have had the privilege to see him live twice. Once during the AI Tour and then a few months later at the Virginia State Fair. And I have both his albums (one with the hit “Wait For You” and also his Christmas album), and both are incredible. He is just fantastic and I will gladly pay any amount of money to see him live or buy anything he puts out. I hope you enjoy two of my favorite Idol performances.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
14 Days to American Idol
“Never stop, sing with your heart and do what’s right for YOU!”
-- Diana DeGarmo, www.americanidol.com
No one can ever accuse Diana DeGarmo of failing to follow her own advice. Throughout her run on American Idol’s 3rd Season, she never stopped competing, she always performed with an abundance of emotion, and her pursuit of a career in music was undeniably the right path for her.
It’s no secret that I was underwhelmed by AI’s third season. The trajectory of events highlighted the limitations of the show’s age restrictions. Between inexperienced performers and puzzling eliminations, excitement was mostly lacking. The strength of the season presented itself in its display of pure and malleable talent. Diana was one such artist.
One of the most alluring appeals of this show is to watch aspiring singers find themselves and their individual stage personas. Diana embraced this aspect of the show, took criticism to heart, and grew as a performer with each passing week. She was an unlikely finalist, outlasting early favorites in Jennifer Hudson and LaToya London. But unlike all others except eventual winner Fantasia Barrino, she connected with the audience and made her mark.
She has since found success on stage under the bright lights of Broadway. The American Idol studio stage taught her well!
-- Diana DeGarmo, www.americanidol.com
No one can ever accuse Diana DeGarmo of failing to follow her own advice. Throughout her run on American Idol’s 3rd Season, she never stopped competing, she always performed with an abundance of emotion, and her pursuit of a career in music was undeniably the right path for her.
It’s no secret that I was underwhelmed by AI’s third season. The trajectory of events highlighted the limitations of the show’s age restrictions. Between inexperienced performers and puzzling eliminations, excitement was mostly lacking. The strength of the season presented itself in its display of pure and malleable talent. Diana was one such artist.
One of the most alluring appeals of this show is to watch aspiring singers find themselves and their individual stage personas. Diana embraced this aspect of the show, took criticism to heart, and grew as a performer with each passing week. She was an unlikely finalist, outlasting early favorites in Jennifer Hudson and LaToya London. But unlike all others except eventual winner Fantasia Barrino, she connected with the audience and made her mark.
She has since found success on stage under the bright lights of Broadway. The American Idol studio stage taught her well!
Monday, December 29, 2008
15 Days to American Idol
"The greatest glory never comes from winning, but from rising each time you fall. A person is defined by what he chooses to do with his life, not by what happens to him."
-- Clay Aiken
(Today's entry is brought to you by Lindsay Hemphill)
Since I watched Season 2 from the beginning (already soaking up ever detail that I could), I remember Clay’s audition. Ryan was doing his normal voice-overs leading you to believe that Clay Aiken was going to be another “geek” with a horrible voice. So, in walked Clay who said he believed he was the ‘next American idol”….all of us at home saying “riiiiiiiiiight”! And then he opened his mouth to sing and this huge and amazing voice came out!
What followed over the next few months is very much the reason American Idol is still around and thriving. By the time we got to the final 3, we had three very non-American Idol looking contestants. And all 3 of them could have vocally kicked any season 1 contestant (except, of course, Kelly) right out of the running. Clay (along with Ruben and K-Lo) had talent. During Clay’s run, he was able to build a serious fan base! They are the Clay-mates….my Mom is one, so I’ve seen him several times since Idol and I must say that he sounds EXACTLY the same in person as he did on TV 6 years ago!
He’s since had multiple albums and is currently on Broadway (he’s actually QUITE funny in Spamalot right now!!) But mostly, Clay was the proof that you didn’t have to win American Idol to be successful! I have a feeling that he’ll be around for quite some time!
[PS. Ssssshhhhhhhh, don’t tell Marc, but here’s a bonus clip: Clay singing my favorite Christmas song, “Mary Did you Know”, on the View a couple of years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scHi3SaoeQk]
-- Clay Aiken
(Today's entry is brought to you by Lindsay Hemphill)
Since I watched Season 2 from the beginning (already soaking up ever detail that I could), I remember Clay’s audition. Ryan was doing his normal voice-overs leading you to believe that Clay Aiken was going to be another “geek” with a horrible voice. So, in walked Clay who said he believed he was the ‘next American idol”….all of us at home saying “riiiiiiiiiight”! And then he opened his mouth to sing and this huge and amazing voice came out!
What followed over the next few months is very much the reason American Idol is still around and thriving. By the time we got to the final 3, we had three very non-American Idol looking contestants. And all 3 of them could have vocally kicked any season 1 contestant (except, of course, Kelly) right out of the running. Clay (along with Ruben and K-Lo) had talent. During Clay’s run, he was able to build a serious fan base! They are the Clay-mates….my Mom is one, so I’ve seen him several times since Idol and I must say that he sounds EXACTLY the same in person as he did on TV 6 years ago!
He’s since had multiple albums and is currently on Broadway (he’s actually QUITE funny in Spamalot right now!!) But mostly, Clay was the proof that you didn’t have to win American Idol to be successful! I have a feeling that he’ll be around for quite some time!
[PS. Ssssshhhhhhhh, don’t tell Marc, but here’s a bonus clip: Clay singing my favorite Christmas song, “Mary Did you Know”, on the View a couple of years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scHi3SaoeQk]
Sunday, December 28, 2008
16 Days to Amercian Idol
"Someone who, when given the platform, represents who they truly are and can convey it in a way that makes the audience want to know more."
--Melinda Doolittle, on her definition of an American Idol, www.americanidol.com
(Today's entry is brought to you by Lindsay Hemphill)
When Melinda Doolittle auditioned for Season 6, she was auditioning as a background singer who had gotten the push to audition by her friends. In a season where the younger contestants were often taking the spotlight, she was able to take it right back and prove that she deserved to be there.
As the weeks progressed, everyone could just watch her confidence grow in her own performances! It was a joy to watch the transformation. As the weeks continued, she became a clear front runner who everyone thought was going to win, and she fell into the trap that many front runners face: fans getting too comfortable with their favorite contestant, so she “only” came in third, but really….she will have a great career! So, please enjoy my two favorite performances from Melinda!
--Melinda Doolittle, on her definition of an American Idol, www.americanidol.com
(Today's entry is brought to you by Lindsay Hemphill)
When Melinda Doolittle auditioned for Season 6, she was auditioning as a background singer who had gotten the push to audition by her friends. In a season where the younger contestants were often taking the spotlight, she was able to take it right back and prove that she deserved to be there.
As the weeks progressed, everyone could just watch her confidence grow in her own performances! It was a joy to watch the transformation. As the weeks continued, she became a clear front runner who everyone thought was going to win, and she fell into the trap that many front runners face: fans getting too comfortable with their favorite contestant, so she “only” came in third, but really….she will have a great career! So, please enjoy my two favorite performances from Melinda!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
17 Days to American Idol
“I think we are all very different, so just being me will be the key.”
--Jason Castro
(Today's entry is brought to you by Lindsay Hemphill, with minor commentary by me in blue.)
Season 7 was a truly entertaining season of American Idol! There were no “Sanjaya’s” and it was all about watching the amazing talent put on stage week to week! I remember watching the Top 12 Boys, week one of the Semi-finals round. All of a sudden this kinda cute guy with quite a different look (cause, you know, he had dreads!) came out and sang “Daydream.” I, along with millions of others, fell in love just a little bit. Jason Castro was just the ‘breath of fresh air’ that American Idol needed! A few weeks later, he knocked it out of the park with his version of “Hallelujah,” made popular by the movie Shrek.
After many consistent weeks, he made it all the way to the Top 4. Towards the end of the season, even though the pressure was clearly getting to him, he continued to work hard (contrary to popular belief) and have hit after hit!
Sidenote: Some of my favorite performances were “Fragile”, “I Don’t Wanna Cry”, and “Travelin’ Thru.” His choices of song were almost always daring and slightly offbeat, as evidenced by Lindsay's list here and the songs we chose to highlight below. Though he wasn't always successful, his originality truly made him a standout. Jason, along with Brooke White, brought folk music to the American Idol stage.
Jason just has a great, laid back quality about him and his voice is nice and smooth! I think I could listen to him all day….plus, he just seems like he’s a nice guy! I was thrilled he made it as far as he did and I can’t wait to buy his first album (you know I’m going to!) Anyway, I hope you enjoy the clips Marc and I picked out for you!
--Jason Castro
(Today's entry is brought to you by Lindsay Hemphill, with minor commentary by me in blue.)
Season 7 was a truly entertaining season of American Idol! There were no “Sanjaya’s” and it was all about watching the amazing talent put on stage week to week! I remember watching the Top 12 Boys, week one of the Semi-finals round. All of a sudden this kinda cute guy with quite a different look (cause, you know, he had dreads!) came out and sang “Daydream.” I, along with millions of others, fell in love just a little bit. Jason Castro was just the ‘breath of fresh air’ that American Idol needed! A few weeks later, he knocked it out of the park with his version of “Hallelujah,” made popular by the movie Shrek.
After many consistent weeks, he made it all the way to the Top 4. Towards the end of the season, even though the pressure was clearly getting to him, he continued to work hard (contrary to popular belief) and have hit after hit!
Sidenote: Some of my favorite performances were “Fragile”, “I Don’t Wanna Cry”, and “Travelin’ Thru.” His choices of song were almost always daring and slightly offbeat, as evidenced by Lindsay's list here and the songs we chose to highlight below. Though he wasn't always successful, his originality truly made him a standout. Jason, along with Brooke White, brought folk music to the American Idol stage.
Jason just has a great, laid back quality about him and his voice is nice and smooth! I think I could listen to him all day….plus, he just seems like he’s a nice guy! I was thrilled he made it as far as he did and I can’t wait to buy his first album (you know I’m going to!) Anyway, I hope you enjoy the clips Marc and I picked out for you!
Friday, December 26, 2008
18 Days to American Idol
“I don’t say this lightly… that performance was on a par with Whitney Houston, Celine Dion. Seriously! Honestly, Tamyra, it was one of the best performances on TV I have ever, ever seen, in my life. It was superb! Amazing!”
-- Simon Cowell, about Tamyra Gray’s performance of “A House Is Not A Home,” Season 1
Another early favorite, another shocking 4th place elimination. Actually, this was the first of AI’s shocking late round eliminations.
Back when AI first premiered, I wrote it off, protesting what I thought would be the “fad” of reality television. Boy was I wrong… about the show and about reality television in general. Looking back, I wish I had embraced it sooner, because I missed what looks like an incredible season. I have since seen most of it on AI rewind, and I’ve watched countless clips on the web. Had I been watching, I would have been pulling for a Tamyra/Kelly finale.
While she’s gone on to appear on TV and most recently as Mimi on Broadway in Rent, she helped make American Idol the powerhouse that it is now. More than just being a remarkable singer, she’s a crazy talented performer. Check out her stage presence in “A Fool in Love.” And with performances like “A House Is Not A Home” and “Touch Me In the Morning,” it’s a wonder that she didn’t fare better than fourth, not that has held her back since.
-- Simon Cowell, about Tamyra Gray’s performance of “A House Is Not A Home,” Season 1
Another early favorite, another shocking 4th place elimination. Actually, this was the first of AI’s shocking late round eliminations.
Back when AI first premiered, I wrote it off, protesting what I thought would be the “fad” of reality television. Boy was I wrong… about the show and about reality television in general. Looking back, I wish I had embraced it sooner, because I missed what looks like an incredible season. I have since seen most of it on AI rewind, and I’ve watched countless clips on the web. Had I been watching, I would have been pulling for a Tamyra/Kelly finale.
While she’s gone on to appear on TV and most recently as Mimi on Broadway in Rent, she helped make American Idol the powerhouse that it is now. More than just being a remarkable singer, she’s a crazy talented performer. Check out her stage presence in “A Fool in Love.” And with performances like “A House Is Not A Home” and “Touch Me In the Morning,” it’s a wonder that she didn’t fare better than fourth, not that has held her back since.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
19 Days to American Idol
“Be sure of yourself. Know who you are and no matter if you make it, you know in your heart you are still a star.”
-- George Huff, www.americanidol.com
Season 3 of American Idol was what I consider to be a mediocre season, especially where male talent was concerned. On the heels of Ruben’s upset win over Clay the previous year, the women stepped up and greatly overshadowed the men. George Huff was that season’s last man standing, and he was voted off in 5th place.
I remember George as talented singer who struggled throughout the season with consistency and confidence. His greatest strength, other than his deep soulful voice, was his personality. He radiated warmth, sincerity, and positivity. He was one of those performers who took the judges’ advice to heart. From week to week, you could tell that he worked to improve upon his weaknesses. And improve, he did. He was an underdog, for sure, up against the likes of LaToya London, Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia Barrino, and Diana DeGarmo; but when he chose the right song and connected with the audience, he made quite the impression. By the end of his run in the competition, he had come into his own.
Today’s entry goes out to Natala, who sang his praises when I first told her about my plans for the countdown and reminded me of the magic he brought to the American Idol stage.
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