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Top 11 Tuesday Wrap

2010-03-24T20:15:00.002-04:00

Tuesday night on American Idol, the Top 11 contestants belted out a mix of Billboard #1 Hits. Unfortunately, more than a few of the performances were BIG and disappointing ‘MISSES’! The Top 11 also got to work with a mentor this week and it turned out to be Hannah Montana star, Miley Cyrus. I’m sorry, but it’s really hard for me to accept a 17 year-old kid being a mentor to someone!?

Anyway…. let’s see who did well with the Hot 100 Billboard #1 Hits music and who is in the dreaded ‘Bottom 3’ tonight and facing the painful ‘NO IDOL TOUR FOR YOU VOTE’……dim the lights……here we go….

LEE DEWYZE- Chose “The Letter” by the Box Tops and sang it more like the Joe Cocker version. He finally showed a bit of stage presence, looked great on stage actually, and thought it was overall a very solid performance, maybe his best to date for me! He’s safe tonight, will tour, and is my front-runner for any of the guys’ hopes of landing in the Final.

Paige Miles- Sang, or should I say TRIED to sing Phil Collins’ 1984 hit “Against All Odds”…..and let’s just say that the odds are stacked GREATLY against her tonight from going any further in the competition. Her performance was dreadful, and she sounded just awful! I hope she’s voted off tonight, as she does NOT deserve to tour!

Tim Urban- Sang Queens’ ”Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and I think the kid got just a bit too crazy on stage! Thinking he’s the next coming of Elvis, he bopped, jumped and even slid across the stage at one point, and was totally out of control. The vocals were bad too, but not quite as bad as Paige’s were. He’s in trouble and I’m certain will be in the Bottom 3 tonight, so this could be the end of the road for him. He or Paige MUST be sent home tonight!

AARON KELLY- chose Aerosmith’s “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”, and at first I thought ‘bad song choice’, but….he worked it out, despite laryngitis and tonsillitis supposedly, and put his country twang to it. I don’t think it was one of his better performances, but it ended up being a solid song choice for him, so he’s probably safe for tonight and will tour, so I’m happy for this young and talented kid.

CRYSTAL BOWERSOX- Finally chose a Janis Joplin song, performing “Me and Bobby McGee”, singing Pink’s version of it, except as Simon said, she did it better than Pink, and I think she did it better than Janis too! In my opinion, BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT!....and still the Front-Runner for the Season 9 American Idol Title!

Mike Lynche- Sang Michael Bolton’s “When a Man Loves a Woman”, and it was jut OK for me. I agreed with Kara and Simon, it was very ‘loungey’ and rather boring. He’s safe and I’m sure will tour, but he’s NOT going to get to the Finals like some people think, he’s just NOT that good!

ANDREW GARCIA- Performed Marvin Gaye’s, “Heard it Through the Grapevine"….and Marvin had to be rolling over in his damn grave! It just wasn’t very good at all, and he looked corny on stage doing it. He could and probably should be in the BOTTOM 3 tonight, and could possibly go home.

KATIE STEVENS- Performed Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and she looked and sounded great! Thank goodness someone FINALLY helped her dress appropriately for her age and this show. She’s safe and will tour, good for her….and Grandma will be proud and very happy too!

Casey James- Chose Huey Lewis’ “Power of Love”, always a fav song of mine from the 80‘s, and even though Casey had a problem with his lower notes on this one, overall it was pretty good….and at least it was an energetic performance. He’s safe and will tour, much to the pleasure of millions of young babes and cougars nationwide, that I’m sure will be more concerned with how he looks vs. how he sounds on stage! :-0

DIDI BENAMI- Didi looked great and sang Linda Rondstadt’s “You’re No Good”. I did NOT agree with the judges at all and thought she sounded pretty good, very sassy and bluesy. But because she was slammed and trashed by the judges, she could be in trouble and be in the BOTTOM 3 tonight, but if she goes home and Tim Urban and Paige Miles stay and make the TOP 10 and tour….I will SCREAM!

SIOHBHAN MAGNUS- Sang the 1972 Stevie Wonder hit “Superstition”, and although it first seemed to be a bad song choice, she sounded awesome. Between what she looked like meeting Miley Cyrus and how she looked taking the stage, WOW…. what a transformation! She and Crystal are definitely the TOP 2 Girls; she’s very safe tonight and will tour…..and just may win the whole thing!

Eddie Note: Contestants in CAPS and RED were my favs that I picked in the early auditions for the TOP 24 and TOP 12 potential…..8 of 12 not too shabby!

Idol Chatter……LACEY BROWN, who was sent home last week, was on David Letterman Monday night, looked stunning and sang part of ‘What a Wonderful World’….I hope she lands a recording contract and does well for herself!

BOTTOM LINE…..If anyone other than Paige Miles or Tim Urban gets sent home tonight, and maybe throw in Andrew Garcia, then something is wrong with millions of Americans hearing and/or possibly their TV sets need replaced in their homes! That’s how BAD they performed and sounded last night! UGH!!

Eddie’s TOP 3…….as of right now are……drum roll please…..Crystal Bowersox, Siobhan Magnus and Lee DeWyze……and you can throw a blanket over as many as 3 or 4 contestants to be so called ‘dark horses’ to reach the Final 4!

So….who do you think goes home tonight? Who was your favorite last night? Who are your Top guy and gal in the TOP 10? Who do you think should be in the TOP 10 and perform on the Idol Summer Tour? How about your TOP 2 picks for the FINALS? Let’s hear what you think, no better time to speak up and be heard!

More from Eddie Idol after the TOP 10 is revealed tonight! As always, stay tuned for more ‘Eddie Idol’ chatter…….after the break!

IDOL'S TOP 12 DEBUT!

2010-03-17T14:30:00.002-04:00

OK, so we had the much anticipated 2-hour debut of IDOL’s TOP 12 last night, on the BIGGER stage, BIGGER audience, and to the music of one of rock and roll’s all time greatest bands, The Rolling Stones. Have to say it here first, I’ve never been a big Stones fan at all, but I’ll give them their due, they’ve made over 50 albums and have withstood many generations of fans with their music. So….with that said, let’s see who did well with their music and who is in the dreaded ‘Bottom 3’ tonight……dim the lights……

Mike Lynche- OK…..Big Mike is starting to get on my nerves.! Sang "Miss You", and it was jut OK for me. I agree with Simon, all the moving around and gyrations on stage were just a bit too corny and a bit much for me. He’s safe tonight, but he’s gotta’ calm down a bit with all the crap he’s doing on stage and being so palsy-walsy with Ryan on the stage!

DIDI BENAMI- Let’s first say Didi looked great last night and may just be the prettiest of the gals in the competition. She sang "Play With Fire", a song most folks wouldn’t recognize as a Stones song. She sounded great and is gaining confidence each week! She’s safe….and definitely was the ‘best dressed’ of the girls last night as well.

Casey James- Chose "It’s All Over Now" and made it bluesy and jazzy, but I didn’t think he was as good as some of the judges did. I thought it was pitchy, and Casey has a problem with his lower notes. As Simon said at best, it was BORING and forgettable! Probably safe tonight, but he’s gotta’ step it up.

LACEY BROWN- Chose "Ruby Tuesday", good song choice but I thought it was pitchy and that she sounded nervous again singing it. And who dresses these people, her outfit was plain gaudy! Hate to say it, but she’s probably in trouble and in the Bottom 3 tonight.

ANDREW GARCIA- Performed the 1969 Stones song, "Gimme’ Shelter"….and it just wasn’t very good. He was better than the previous weeks, and gave it his best, but again, compared to everyone else, not good enough. As Cousin Greg said…..he’s about as far as he’s going to go. No Top 10…..no touring….in the BOTTOM 3 tonight and could be the person who gets sent home tonight.

KATIE STEVENS- Who chose her dress!? She looked like she was ready to go to Easter Sunday mass. Performed ‘Wild Horses" and when she hit the higher notes, she sounded great….when she’s not hitting the bigger notes, it’s pitchy. She’s safe tonight, but needs some fashion advice for future shows! UGH!

Tim Urban- Sang "Under My Thumb" and put a reggae theme to it, which sure was gutsy and very unique, but the judges ripped him big time. It grew on me as he sang it, but as Simon said, people listening probably hated it more than liked it and turned off their TV sets! He’s in trouble and most likely will be in the Bottom 3 tonight….this could be the end of the road for him!

SIOHBHAN MAGNUS- BEST OF THE NIGHT! Sang a dark and incredible version of "Paint It Black"…..WOW!! My son Jonathan would have loved the outfit she wore, esp. the shoes, and the song. And before any of the judges opened their mouth, I wrote down ‘This Year’s Adam Lambert…….but she’s a girl!’ Looks like brother Ron picked a winner…..it’s his fav girl to get to the finals! She just may be on her way there!

LEE DEWYZE- Chose "Beast Of Burden" and I’m on board with Randy Jackson, this kid sounds a lot like Dave Matthews! He wasn’t technically great last night, but certainly good enough to be safe this week and move on.

Paige Miles- Sang one of my fav Stones songs with "Honky Tonk Woman" and for me, it was probably her best performance to date, even though she had a bout with laryngitis all week leading up to the show. She’s obviously got some additional physical issues with the voice, because she always sounds nasally and congested, but she’s safe tonight.

AARON KELLY- Just love this kid’s story and the little one stoplight town he’s from in PA, and I want so bad for him to do well. Aaron chose "Angie", but I don’t think it was one of his better performances, and not as good as the judges thought he performed it. I agree with Simon, it was a great song choice and he didn’t try to over-sing it, so he’s probably safe for tonight.

CRYSTAL BOWERSOX- Chose "You Can’t Always Get What You Want" and once again gave a memorable performance! She’s the only real legitimate superstar in the field, and I agree with Simon, it’s her competition to lose, but she absolutely was out-performed by Siobhan on this first night on the big stage!

Eddie Note: Contestants in CAPS and RED were my favs that I picked in the early auditions for the TOP 24 and TOP 12 potential…..8 of 12 not too shabby!

So….who do you think goes home tonight? Who was your favorite last night? Who are your Top guy and gal in the TOP 12? Who do you think gets to the TOP 10 and perform on the Idol Summer Tour? How about your TOP 2 picks for the FINALS?
Let’s hear what you think, now’s the time to speak up and be heard!

More from Eddie Idol after one contestant is sent packing tonight. As always, stay tuned for more ‘Eddie Idol’ chatter…….after the break!

Eddie's feeling better and srsly ticked off!!!

2010-03-12T10:46:00.003-05:00

Once again......America SCREWS UP BIG TIME!!
Just who is voting and what were they thinking last night in sending home one of the BEST and most original contestants in Lilly Scott????? I agree with her, just what type of talent and music do they want to hear???

All these young punk kids and their cell phones texting and calling in votes - just where are their parents at after this show is over? Take the damn phones away and hide them from these kids who don't know good talent and music when they hear it!
What a freakin' joke!!
So now into the TOP 12 we get to see Paige "Yes, I'm always Congested and Sound Like Crap" Miles and Katie "I'm More Shocked Than You That I'm Still Here" Stevens.........absolutely incredible!!!!
America......... you SUCK!!

A Very 'Ticked Off' Eddie Idol

PS---Good thing WVU pulled off the last second win in the Big East Tournament after IDOL, or I'd really be upset, at least that salvaged the evening on TV for me! BEAT THE HATED IRISH TONIGHT AT THE GARDEN!

Poor Eddie :-(

2010-03-11T21:53:00.004-05:00

Because Eddie Idol’s a bit under the weather this week, I’ll keep my usually lengthy recap of the last two nights SWEET 16 performances on Idol short and ‘sweet’ here, as we count down the hours until the TOP 12 is officially released!

My TOP 4 favs from this week’s performances for the Gals was: Crystal Bowersox (THE BEST BY FAR!), Siobhan Magnus, Lilly Scott, and………..Lacey Brown is finally BACK! J Thrown in my new Dark Horse in Didi Benami after she nailed the Stevie Nicks song this week! Bottom 3 gals for me tonight are Katie Stevens, Paige Miles, and probably Katelyn Epperly…..I think 2 of these 3 are most likely going home tonight.

TOP 4 guys for me from Wednesday Night’s performances are: Lee Dewyze, Michael ‘Big Mike’ Lynche, Aaron Kelly and Alex Lambert, YES….I said Adam Lambert! The kid is gaining momentum each and every week, and the judges just love him! My new Dark Horse is another guy who I thought early on in Week #1 was a real loser…..Tim Urban! Andrew Garcia, as I said earlier this week, is fading really fast and I think is probably headed home tonight. Joining him in potential trouble tonight with the risk of being sent home are Todrick Hall (who really wasn’t all that bad last night) and Casey ‘Over-Rated’ James, who needs a dose of reality to set in!

So….who do you think goes home tonight? Who’s your favorite guys and gals in the TOP 12? More from Eddie Idol early next week on the TOP 12 after 4 more contestants sent packing tonight. As always, stay tuned for more ‘Eddie Idol’ chatter…….after the break!

Kim: Get Well Soon, my Dear Eddie!!

C'mon peeps, let's send some cheer to our fave Idol (Eddie)!!!!

AI: Tuesday Teaser

2010-03-09T19:02:00.001-05:00

Only surprise last week on those who were sent home was on the Girls side with Michelle Delamor, who I’m sure thought she was in no danger. But as Kara said, when the judges listened back to her performance after the show, it really was all over the place and very pitchy. I personally thought it was a poor performance, but didn’t think she’d be sent home before a few others in front of her.

The big buzz today is Simon Cowell’s appearance on the Jay Leno show last night where he endorsed Crystal Bowersox! Simon made it very clear that he’s a huge fan of Crystal. Simon said, “I tell you who I like, I like this girl Crystal," Cowell said. "When I first saw her, I described her as a busker, and I liked the way she handled that, because she admitted that's what she was. But she's got some confidence now. She was ill, she's got over that, she's got a great voice. She's different. I like her."

If everyone’s healthy this week, and there’s not another last minute schedule swap, expect the top 8 girls to perform on American Idol Season 9 tonight. With only 16 folks left, we get a measly 3 hours of Idol this week! The show falls back to one hour tonight and starts at 8 p.m. on Fox. The top 8 boys will perform tomorrow night, with elimination night falling again on Thursday night.

The gals have such awesome potential, much more so than the guys. My TOP 4 favs this week for the Gals are: Lilly Scott, Crystal Bowersox, Siobhan Magnus, and throw in Katelyn Epperly as my new ‘Dark Horse’, as she’s starting to grow on me. Bottom 2 gals for me are Lacey Brown, unless she can get her act together QUICKLY, because she does have the potential, and Paige Miles, who sounds like she’s congested all the time. Other 2 gals who really need a BIG performance are Katie Stevens and Diddi Benami, who if they don’t step up, could be in real trouble this week.

TOP 4 guys for me are: Aaron Kelly, Casey James, and Lee Dewyze, with Michael ‘Big Mike’ Lynche as my new Dark Horse after last week’s awesome performance. Andrew Garcia, originally a favorite, is fading fast and really needs to step up BIG this week! All the other guys need solid performances this week as well, or they all could be in trouble and risk being sent home.

Here’s some interesting info…..the latest Entertainment ‘betting odds’ on who will win IDOL Season 9 are as follows:

Aaron Kelly 22/1; Alex Lambert 20/1; Andrew Garcia 6/1; Casey James 11/2; Lee Dewyze 9/2; Michael Lynche 40/1; Tim Urban 70/1 ; Todrick Hall 50/1

Paige Miles 40/1; Siobhan Magnus 5/1; Lilly Scott 12/1; Crystal Bowersox 4/1; Didi Benami 20/1; Katelyn Epperly 16/1; Katie Stevens 12/1; Lacey Brown 50/1

So….who are you most wanting to see perform this week? Who’s your favorites? More from Eddie Idol on who should stay and which two gals and guys should be sent packing after they perform over the next two nights….so stay tuned!

AI Update: Girls Nite

2010-03-05T09:39:00.002-05:00

Here’s my breakdown of last nights performances by the Top 10 girls……Eddie Note: Contestants in CAPS and RED were my favs that I picked in the early auditions for the TOP 24.

The TOP 10 GIRLS….Good, Better and BEST….and a few IN TROUBLE….

THE BEST

· CRYSTAL BOWERSOX- ’Momma Sox’, after being hospitalized earlier for her diabetes, happened to be the first up to sing, and man oh man did she really step up! Choosing Creedence Clearwater’s “As Long As I Can See the Light,” she put some good soul into it. AWESOME PERFORMANCE! Best of the night in my opinion.

· KATELYN EPPERLY- sang “A Scientist” by Coldplay and she did the first full piano performance I’ve seen this season. I thought it was a really good performance and the she looks great and has a pretty voice. This girl is growing on me, and I have to agree with Kara, who said that she loves Katelyn and that she’s “really, really good.”

· LILLY SCOTT- sang “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke and she changed it up rather nicely and put her own vibe on it. It wasn’t the best remake of it that I’ve heard, but it was solid. I have to agree with Simon though, she was NOT as good as Crystal, and not as good as she was the week before.

· Siobhan Magnus- sang “Think” by Aretha Franklin and as Simon has often said, she really is quite the ‘quirky’ gal. I love her style though, and the girl has some serious pipes! Randy said it was bold and “dope.” Kara said she doesn’t know how she really was able to hit the one BIG note, which was incredible that it came from her voice.

BETTER

· Paige Miles- Sang “Walk Away” by Kelly Clarkson which was a good choice, and she didn’t do it too sound alike, but it was still very ‘safe’. I said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m not buying into this girl just yet. And is it just me or does she sound like she’s always congested? I’m not sure she’s as talented as the judges say she is, but I’m sure she’s through for another week.

· Michelle Delamor- who just may be the prettiest and best dressed gal in the competition, sang “With Arms Wide Open” by Creed. She has a good voice, but to me it was boring because she changed it up and slowed it down way too much. Kara said it was Michelle’s best performance to date. Simon said it was 80% right and seemed to really like it…..for me it was better than last week, but I wasn’t blown away by her performance.GOOD

· KATIE STEVENS- chose to sing the one song I love to hate on IDOL, “Put Your Record On” by Corinne Bailey Rae, and it was just OK. This girl has more talent than she’s showing so far, much more….and if she makes it through tonight, she needs to step it up next week!

IN TROUBLE

· Haeley Vaughn- Sang “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus. Can I just say that it was horrible and very pitchy, and had me ‘climbing’ the walls! UGH! I’m with Simon on this one who said “it was a complete and utter mess.” ….time to go home and make some more head-bands Haeley....Bye-Bye babe!

· LACEY BROWN- chose to sing what Kara had suggested the week before; “Kiss Me” by Six Pence None the Richer. I kind of have a soft spot for this girl, and want her to do well, but she still didn’t really show off any real vocal talent, and again, she sounded nervous. I’m with Kara, who said she liked it but thinks Lacey needs to step it up. I hope she gets a chance to do that, but she may be in trouble tonight and be sent packing.

· DIDI BENAMI- sang “Lean On Me” by Bill Withers and although I love this song, I don’t think it was a good song choice for her at all and did nothing to show off her vocals. Kara straight up said that “it wasn’t good” and that Didi lacks consistency. As much as I want her to do well, she could be going home tonight.

Bottom Line…..The girls from top to bottom continue to out-perform the guys! Any one of 4 or 5 girls can win this thing. The same thing can’t be said of the guys.

Idol Thoughts… Is it really fair that the weak group of guys take half of the Top 12 "Idol" finalist spots? Based on the past few weeks’ performances, they absolutely should not. Sorry, guys…..you just don’t stack up, but the way IDOL goes on eliminating 2 gals and 2 guys each week, there will be an even split until the Top 12, 6 guys and 6 girls. After that, anyone can go!

So…..what do you think of the Top 10 Girls? Who do you think did well? Who are your favorite girls? Who do you think should stay and be sent home this week? Let’s hear what you think! More from Eddie Idol…..after tonight’s eliminations!

Tuesday Night Round-Up!

2010-03-03T21:38:00.003-05:00

Here’s my breakdown of last nights performances by the Top 10 guys, as they took the stage a night earlier than planned because of Crystal Bowersox being admitted to the hospital. Hopefully she’s OK to sing tonight with the rest of the girls.

Eddie Note: Contestants in CAPS and RED were my favs that I picked in the early auditions for the TOP 24.

TOP 10 GUYS….Good, Better and BEST….and IN TROUBLE….

BEST

· Michael Lynche- got the show off to a great start, singing “This Is A Man’s World” by James Brown. All four judges praised him and, as usual, Simon said it best, “It was like from being a pussycat to a lion in one week.” He’s safe this week!

· AARON KELLY- sang a very interesting version of “My Girl” by The Temptations, put his own country twist to it and made it his own. I liked it and think he’s safe this week.

· Lee DeWyze- Last to perform for the guys and did a pretty solid rendition of Hinder’s “Lips Of An Angel”, a song no one has ever chosen to sing on Idol. This kid has sort of came out of nowhere and has proven after two weeks he deserves to be in the competition. I agree with Simon, he may be the front-runner for the guys at this point.

BETTER

· Alex Lambert- took on John Legend’s “Everybody Knows” and lost the nerves from last week. I’ll admit it, and agree with all the judges, he was way better this week and should be safe. I still think he needs a new haircut and ditch the mullet look!

· Tim Urban- I did say last week he should have gone home, but this week he was much better singing “Come On Get Higher” by Matt Nathanson. Three things will save him this week. First, votefortheworst.com has him as their chosen target. Second, Simon thought he did really well…..surprised?! Third, the cute factor that the judges talked about with the young girl demo.

· Casey James- sang Gavin Degraw’s “I Don’t Wanna Be” and didn’t do it very well at all. He struggled through the song trying to hit the low and high notes, and there was too much emphasis on playing the guitar. This isn’t ‘Guitar Hero’ Casey….but he’s probably safe for another week.

GOOD….or maybe just ‘OK’…

· John Park- Took on John Mayer’s “Gravity” and although he did much better than last week, it still may not be good enough to stay in the competition.

IN TROUBLE…..

· ANDREW GARCIA- lost the guitar and a bit of his vocal talent, taking on James Morrison’s “You Give Me Something.” The judges were rough on him and I’m starting to wonder if he’s really as good as I thought he was as well. I think he’s in trouble this week!

· TODRICK HALL- Did his best to tear apart Tina Turner with his re-configured version of “What’s Love.” Just as he did last week, he may have taken it just a bit too far again, and should be in the dreaded bottom 3 this week for the guys and may go home.

· JERMAINE SELLERS- performed “What’s Goin’ On” by Marvin Gaye, and what’s goin’ on Jermaine is you’ll be going home this week after your dull and horrendous performance of this Marvin Gaye classic. As Cousin Greg chimed in, poor Marvin was rollin’ over in his grave on this one!

Bottom Line…..Overall, even though they didn’t have as much time to prepare to take the stage, a much better night of performances by the guys….but they still do not have as much talent as the ladies have.

Idol Chatter…..Crystal Bowersox was rushed to the hospital due to complications from diabetes. "[She] is doing okay and should be fine for tomorrow," a source said. Fox wouldn't confirm specifics behind Crystal's "medical issues".

Fast Idol Facts… Last night was opening night for the LA production of “Dreamgirls” at the Ahmanson Theater with Season 7’s third runner-up Syesha Mercado playing the iconic role of Deena Jones. Good for her!

So…..what do you think of the Top 10 Guys? Who do you think did well? Who do you think should stay and be sent home this week? Who are your favorite guys? Let’s here what you think! More from Eddie Idol on the TOP 10 Girls after tonight’s performances….stay tuned!

Kimmy: Well DAYUM Eddie -- sounds like your BOYZ aren't doing so well, so far!!

AI Update

2010-03-03T09:22:00.001-05:00

What a joke last week for the two girls sent home! Once again America's 24 million votes reared their ugly heads!

No way that Jannell (my wine sales rep is gone, bummer!) and Ashley were the worst! Haeley Vaughn should have been sent packing, based totally on last Tuesday's dismal performance of a Beatles classic....along with Lacey Brown, although I do think Lacey has far more talent than she showed last week, and she should do much better tonight. For the guys, our PA boy Tyler should still be there. No way was he worse than John Park, Tim Urban or Alex Lambert, as any one of these losers should have joined Jose Munoz off the stage.

So…..here we go again…Another 5 hours of American Idol this week and hopefully the contestants have gotten over the first night jitters and are more comfortable with the stage. I am expecting much better performances this week, I mean, can they really all be as bad as last week, esp. the guys? Let’s hope not!

First up are the girls and they perform tonight from 8-10PM on FOX. These gals have some awesome potential if they can push their nervousness aside and simply choose the correct song. They all bring something different to the stage and there are some incredible voices this year on the ladies side. My TOP 4 favs are: Lilly Scott, Didi Benami, Crystal Bowersox and Siobhan Magnus, and thrown in Lacey Brown as the ‘Dark Horse’ if she can get herself composed on stage and sing the way she is capable of doing. Bottom 2 gals for me are Haeley Vaughn, who should already be at home watching on TV, and Paige Miles, as I’m just not enamored with her like the judges are at all!

The guys perform Wednesday night from 8-10PM and currently I think the TOP 4 are: Aaron Kelly, Casey James, Andrew Garcia and Lee Dewyze. I believe all of them are in no trouble of leaving any time soon. The same cannot be said for Tim ‘Can You Believe I’m Still Here’ Urban or Alex ‘Someone Please Cut My Hair’ Lambert. These guys are an absolute freakin’ train wreck, and one or both should not even be here this week. Urban got the endorsement from the ‘Vote for the Worst’ folks this past week, so if he does as horrible this week as he did last week, they will be calling in for him to win. Great….another Sanjaya! The other guy in the bottom of the pack is John Park, just abysmal last week.

So….who are you most wanting to see this week? Who’s your favorites? More from Eddie Idol on who should stay and which two gals and guys should be sent packing after they perform….so stay tuned!

AI: The Good, The Bad & The UGLY!!!

2010-02-25T19:29:00.002-05:00

Here’s my breakdown of the past two nights performances…..and to borrow a line from a Clint Eastwood film…THE GOOD, THE BAD and THE UGLY!

Eddie Note: Contestants in CAPS and RED were my favs that I picked in the early auditions for the TOP 24….and some are already in trouble…YIKES!

TOP 12 GIRLS

THE GOOD

· CRYSTAL BOWERSOX- 24 years old, Elliston, OH……’Momma Sox’ did OK with “Hand in My Pocket”, very ‘Dylan-esque’ with her guitar and harmonica, but as Simon said, it was something you can see a thousand folks doing on You Tube every day. She’s SAFE, but needs to step it up on future shows.

· KATELYN EPPERLY- 19 years old, West Des Moines, IA….performed “Oh Darlin” by the Beatles and put her own soulful spin into it. I wasn’t blown away by it, but it was pretty good. She’s safe for another week.

· Paige Miles- 24 years old, Cypress, TX….First time I’ve seen this girl perform at all. She sang “All Right Now” by Free….great song choice, I love the song, but wasn’t all that crazy about her singing it. I’m not sure she’s as talented as the judges say she is, but she’s safe.

· JANELL WHEELER- 24 years old, Orlando, FL…Sang “What About Love” from Heart….big song and a tough song choice! I think she tried to put her own country rock twist to it, and it was OK, not great….but good enough to put my Wine Sales Rep through for another week!

· LILLY SCOTT- 20 years old, Littleton, CO…. Performed “Fixin A Hole” by the Beatles….it was AWESOME! BEST OF THE NIGHT! She’s original, genuine, and believable and it comes from her heart I really like this girl! And why are we just finding out now that she sang on street corners and lived out of her car for the past year!? This makes her even more incredible!

· Michelle Delamor- 22 years old, Miami, FL…..Never seen in the early auditions and very little face time in Hollywood, so this was the first time I’d seen her perform. She tackled a tough song by Alicia Keys performing “Fallen” and did it pretty well. She’s got the whole package going on and certainly looks impressive on camera and has good stage presence. She’s safe and should do well in this competition.

· Siobhan Magnus- 19 years old, Barnstable, MA……. Sang Chris Isaac's “Wicked Game”, which is a very haunting but sexy song. She starts out a bit too low, is a bit nasally too, but she gets better as she progresses through the song. She’s unique and quirky, a very now type, but also a little bit out there. She’s safe!

· DIDI BENAMI- 23 years old, Hollywood, CA….she sang “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson, and although it wasn’t a well known song to me or one I particularly liked, she did pretty well with it. This girl is so this year’s Megan Joy it’s not even funny! She’s safe and I hope she goes deep in the competition.

THE BAD

· ASHLEY RODRIGUEZ- 22 years old, Chelsea, MA…. Performed Leona Lewis’ “Happy” and it was NOT good! No originality and it was very pitchy. I was really looking forward to her knocking my socks off, and she just plain disappointed! She may be in trouble tonight.

· KATIE STEVENS- 17 years old, Middlebury, CT….. performed ”Feeling Good,” by Michael Buble’….and it was OK, but not a good song choice for her at all, too old and it was pitchy. She has a BIG voice for a 17 year old, so I hope she makes it through tonight.

THE UGLY

· Haeley Vaughn- 16 years old, Fort Collins, CO……takes a Beatles’ song “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” and just tears it apart. I agreed with Simon, it was a complete and utter mess! You don’t take that song and try and put a country twist on it….time to go home tonight Haeley....Bye-Bye!

· LACEY BROWN- 24 years old, Amarillo, TX…..I said TOP 12 for this girl early on, and boy did she disappoint on Tuesday night! Wow….a horrendous rendition of ”Landslide,” by Fleetwood Mac. It was bad, just all over the place and very pitchy. She’s in trouble tonight and could be sent home early with Haeley.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TOP 12 GUYS

THE GOOD

· AARON KELLY- 16 years old, Sonestown, PA….performed Rascal Flatts' "Here Comes Goodbye", and although he struggled with some high notes, and some pitchiness, he managed to pull it together. He’s safe.

· ANDREW GARCIA- 24 years old, Moreno Valley, CA….sang Fall Out Boy's "Sugar We're Going Down,", and I liked it more than the judges. I still think this kid is talented and will challenge for the Top Spot for the guys. He’s safe!

· Casey James-27 years old, Fort Worth, TX…….the kid that Kara is just GA-GA over! He’s eye candy for the chicks, but he can sing too! He performs an acoustic version of “Heaven” by Bryan Adams, and just nailed it. Great song choice and performed well on stage. Maybe the BEST OF THE NIGHT!

· Lee DeWyze- 23 years old, Mount Prospect, IL…….Raspy voiced kid with talent who performed Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars," and although a little pitchy, I thought it was one of the better performances on a night full of mediocre and really bad ones! He’s safe, and Simon loves this kid, so that’s a good thing!

· Tyler Grady- 20 years old, Nazareth, PA…..70’s PA boy from just up the road on Rte 22 near Allentown…..does his own take on the Guess Who's "American Woman", and started off promisingly with a super bluesy intro…..but then his performance got a bit clumsy on stage. Good enough to make it through another week though, but he’ll have to get better vocally.

THE BAD

· TODRICK HALL- 24 years old, Arlington, TX…. Did his re-configured version of Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone," and may have taken it just a bit too far. It was risky and unique, and that alone will probably save him for another week, but he could also be in the dreaded bottom 3 tonight.

· Michael Lynche- 26 years old, Astoria, NY….Big Mike performs his take on Maroon 5's "This Love", and it was OK, but certainly not great. I thought it was very ‘karaoke-like’ to say the least. He’ll probably make it through another week, but I just am not that impressed.

· JERMAINE SELLERS- 26 years old, Joliet, IL…..The church singer who performs “Get Here” by Oleta Adams. It was a train wreck and just a plain bad song choice! Cousin Greg, an Eddie Idol Wanna’ Be (EIWB) said TOP 10 in the early auditions for this kid, and I like him too, but he could be in trouble tonight.

THE UGLY

· Alex Lambert-19 years old, North Richland Hills, TX….Remember when I said “I’m sorry, but I’m not a big fan at all of this kid. Don’t think he’s TOP 24 worthy. Pack a light bag Alex, you’re no Adam Lambert! “ Well….after listening to him struggle through "Wonderful World" by James Morrison, I wanted to go outside and scream! It made my sore neck and back feel worse. This kid was terrified on stage! And what’s up with the mullet haircut? Bye-Bye Adam, you need to go home….and cut the hair!

· Tim Urban- 20 years old, Duncanville, TX……last minute call up by the shows producer to replace the DQ’d Chris Golightly….what a mistake! After listening to him try and sing “Apologize” by One Republic, Simon said it best, they made the right choice the first time and he should not be on the show! And what’s with this kids ‘Brady Bunch’ hair-style? CALLING CHRIS GOLIGHTLY! CALLING CHRIS GOLIGHTLY!

· John Park- 21 years old, Evanston, IL….. chose a jazz standard, Billie Holliday's "God Bless the Child"…..and God needs to bless me for having to watch and listen to him singing it! It was awful! This kid is not Top 24 worthy…..off with his head! Time to go home Johnnie boy. Find your Shania so she can teach you to sing better!

· Joe Munoz- 20 years old, Huntington Park, CA….Once again, another horrible performance from this Julio Eglasias wanna’ be! His version of Jason Mraz's "You and I Both" was bad, and I’m sure Jason Mraz was getting drunk somewhere after having listened to this kid perform. He may get all of Mexico to vote him through another week, but this kid is not Top 24 material!

Bottom Line…..As I said last week, there are no Adam Lambert’s in this group, maybe not even a Kris Allen! And after hearing the girls and guys all sing, and Simon agrees…the girls will rule this season! They have far deeper talent, and as I’ve said before and I’ll say it again here…..this year’s Season 9 winner will be a girl!

Idol Words of Advice……For those who play an instrument and take it on stage…..play the damn thing!! Don’t just hold it and look stupid! David Cook did this the best each time he took the stage, because he took an amplifier with him on stage and played the guitar. And another two words of advice….SONG CHOICE…..it’s all about the proper song choice contestants! This was a loud and clear message to all through the first round.

Fast Idol Facts… Tonight’s show airs 8-9 PM with the first results show, when two girls –and- two guys will be eliminated. For each of the next three weeks, two guys and two girls get eliminated until IDOL reaches the TOP 12 on Thursday, March 11^th, then one contestant can be eliminated each week after that. Season 8 winner Kris Allen performs live on tonight’s show, as does last season’s TOP 10 contestant Allison Iraheta.

So…..what do you think of Idol’s Top 24 now? Who do you think did well? Who do you think should stay and be sent home? Who are your favorites after the first group of performances? Let’s here what you think!

AI TOP 24!

2010-02-22T09:42:00.002-05:00

Well, we now have our Season 9 American Idol TOP 24! And it looks like the Top 24 leaked ‘spoiler list’ that was in circulation was pretty accurate, with 23 of the 24 proving to be correct. The only change was Chris Golightly being ‘disqualified’, much like Joanna Pacetti was last year, and being replaced at the last minute by Tim Urban. More on Chris’s situation later….
Here is the breakdown of the TOP 24 for Season 9 and my thoughts: (Contestants in CAPS and RED are those I picked in the early auditions for the TOP 24, and as you can see, I did MUCH better with the girls than I did with the guys!)

Top 12 Guys

· AARON KELLY- 16 years old, Sonestown, PA….one of two 16 year olds in the TOP 24. The judges obviously agree that this kid has some serious talent! How else do you get into the TOP 24 when you forget the lyrics not once but TWICE during Hollywood Week!? I said it early on and I’ll say it here….if he can remember his lyrics, this kid’s going deep in this competition!
· Alex Lambert-19 years old, North Richland Hills, TX….I’m sorry, but I’m not a big fan at all of this kid. Don’t think he’s TOP 24 worthy. Pack a light bag Alex, you’re no Adam Lambert!
· ANDREW GARCIA- 24 years old, Moreno Valley, CA….My Danny Gokey Look-Alike (DKLA) for 2010….but unlike DK, I love this kid’s style! He’s real, he’s genuine and he has a ton of talent! If I had to pick a favorite on the guy’s side, this kid’s the one, along with Aaron Kelly.
· Casey James-27 years old, Fort Worth, TX…..He did surprise the judges (and me!) once he got to Hollywood Week, but I think he’s here more for his looks than his voice! He’s eye candy for the girls and Kara just loves this kid……but he won’t go too far in the competition. Sooner or later, the voice will outweigh the looks and he’ll be back in Texas, or signing a modeling contract with somebody.
· Tim Urban- 20 years old, Duncanville, TX……Good looking kid with an OK voice who was a last-minute replacement for Chris Golightly. Very little face time in Hollywood or the early auditions. Could he be the next Kris Allen? Doubtful…..but let’s see. I just haven’t seen enough of this kid to make a call yet.
· JERMAINE SELLERS- 26 years old, Joliet, IL…..The church singer with an awesome final performance in Hollywood doing MJ’s "Man In The Mirror", and did it very well! This kid has some serious pipes, and he’s a dark horse for the Top 10 as far as I’m concerned.
· John Park- 21 years old, Evanston, IL…..OK, so we have our ‘Asian’ influence on Idol…..but really folks, this kid has not impressed me at all…..maybe he’ll surprise me, but I seriously doubt it.
· Joe Munoz- 20 years old, Huntington Park, CA….Once again, very little face time in early auditions or during Hollywood Week, but based on his rendition of "Man in the Mirror" (how many folks sang this??? UGH!!), I’m not a fan of his.
· Lee DeWyze- 23 years old, Mount Prospect, IL…….another kid who’s new to me that didn’t get much face time. Judges put him in the TOP 24 but didn’t seem overly complimentary of him. Based on the one performance I heard, I’m not either.
· Michael Lynche- 26 years old, Astoria, NY….Big Mike makes it in, but there’s still some controversy over him and the fact that his dad told a FL paper that he made the TOP 24 before it was announced, and from what I’m reading, he may still be kicked out of the TOP 24. If he is, please don’t let crybaby Thaddeus Johnson take his spot! Even if he stays, Big Mike’s not going that far in the competition.
· TODRICK HALL- 24 years old, Arlington, TX….I liked this kid early in the auditions, wasn’t blown away by him, but I thought he had some talent. Not sure how far he’ll go, because I think Jermaine Sellers and others in the competition have considerably more talent….so we’ll see.
· Tyler Grady- 20 years old, Nazareth, PA…..Part of me wants this kid to do well because he’s from nearby Nazareth, PA, and I like the fact that he has ‘that 70’s look’ and rock-star charisma, influenced musically by Roger Daultry and Robert Plant, but he’s missing something. Think he may be just a bit too cocky and flamboyant, and that may get him in trouble, plus the fact that he looks like he’s ‘high’ all the time!

Top 12 Girls

· ASHLEY RODRIGUEZ- 22 years old, Chelsea, MA….I knew early on this girl had ‘IT’ and it would be very, very easy to proclaim her the front-runner right now….but she’ll have a fight on her hands from a talented girl’s lineup! She’s definitely TOP 10, and could win it all!
· CRYSTAL BOWERSOX- 24 years old, Elliston, OH……’Momma Sox’ as Randy called her is awesome! I could listen to this girl sing all night. She has an excellent voice, and a seemingly unflappable, folksy stage presence. She’ll go deep in the competition…..TOP 10….and on a side note to FOX’s makeup crew, someone needs to get her some Crest Whitening Strips too!
· Haeley Vaughn- 16 years old, Fort Collins, CO……I thought she had an outside shot of making the TOP 24 because she kept pushing the fact that she wanted to be the first black pop-country girl singer in America, but seriously, she’ll get eaten up in this competition! And for the judges to pick her over Angela Martin and Tori Kelly was a joke! They were far more talented than this girl is.
· KATELYN EPPERLY- 19 years old, West Des Moines, IA….I liked her early on and think she’s deserving of a Top 24 spot, but there’s something phony about her. I just don’t get the warm and fuzzies from her; she’s a little bit fake. I don’t think she’ll stack up well against a talented field of girls for Season 9.
· JANELL WHEELER- 24 years old, Orlando, FL….Liked her early on in auditions, and despite being sick in Hollywood, she battled through it all to make it into the TOP 24. She’s got a raspy voice, plays guitar, and has good stage presence. Plus, she’s a Wine Sales Rep, so I like her that much more! Dark Horse for the TOP 10!
· KATIE STEVENS- 17 years old, Middlebury, CT…..I really, really like this girl! Love her look and her family story; think she’s very genuine and super talented for 17 years old. TOP 10 for sure!
· LILLY SCOTT- 20 years old, Littleton, CO…. Her cover of "Lullaby of Birdland" was the single best performance shown in all the Idol clips. She’s super talented and does her own thing, very unique, not at all fake or trying to do more than she can. She may lack some lung power, but if she picks the right songs, she’ll go deep in this competition. I like her in the TOP 10!
· LACEY BROWN- 24 years old, Amarillo, TX…..I said TOP 12 for this girl early on. Her unique rendition of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" in her first audition and then her amazing version of "It’s a Wonderful World" stand out as some of the best I heard. She could win it all, she’s THAT GOOD!
· Michelle Delamor- 22 years old, Miami, FL…..Never seen in the early auditions and very little face time in Hollywood. She’s a mystery to me; I just don’t know anything about her to give a constructive opinion.
· Paige Miles- 24 years old, Cypress, TX….read Michelle Delamor’s….ditto for this girl!
· Siobhan Magnus- 19 years old, Barnstable, MA…….this girl came out of nowhere to surprise the judges and she really grew on me through Hollywood Week. If she can come out of her shell a bit more and push the envelope a bit, she could continue to surprise and go deep in this competition.
· DIDI BENAMI- 23 years old, Hollywood, CA….Has always been one of my favorites! Awesome final song in Hollywood singing "Angel", and dedicating it to her deceased friend who she’s using as motivation to do her best in this competition. Another super talented girl with a great personality lots of potential. She’s in my TOP 10!

And the rest of the story…..Chris Golightly said a misunderstanding over a previous recording contract led to his forced exit. His former manager informed 19 Entertainment that he was still under contract, but explained that his contract ran out a month prior to his audition for AI.
After a series of mix-ups, it was established that he was in fact free from his previous contract, but by that point Idol producers had already replaced him with Urban to fill the expected vacancy.

Who got screwed? Angela Martin for sure! She was the singer with the most at stake, and her loss was just devastating to her. This was her third try on Idol, and her personal life in recent years has been a string of troubles: Her father died, her daughter has had terrible medical problems and, last heard in the Idol news wire, her mother had gone missing! She was crying before she even reached the judges. Kara sat down with her, in her chair, to tell her ‘it was a no’, but that she was a great singer.
This girl should be in the TOP 24! And so should Tori Kelly, who was not quite as talented as a singer, but certainly is a better all around package than Haeley ‘I wanna be a black Taylor Swift’ Vaughn!

Bottom Line…..There are no Adam Lambert’s in this group, but maybe there’s a Kris Allen or two hiding in the group for the guys. But the girls will rule this season! They have far deeper talent, and as I’ve said before and I’ll say it again here…..this year’s Season 9 winner will be a girl!

Fast Idol Facts…Are you ready for 5 HOURS of Idol this coming week?
Tuesday night’s show airs 8-10 PM, with the TOP 12 Girls performing; Wednesday night’s show airs 8-10 PM with the TOP 12 Guys performing; Thursday night’s show airs 8-9 PM with the first results show, when two girls –and- two guys will be eliminated. Season 8 winner Kris Allen performs live on Thursday night’s show as well.
So…..what do you think of Idol’s Top 24? Who do you think will do well? Who are your favorite gals and guys in the competition this year? Were you surprised with any of the eliminations? Let’s here what you think before Tuesday’s show!

AI TOP 24 SPOILERS!!!!!!!

2010-02-16T19:25:00.003-05:00

SPOILER ALERT!

That means -

If you don't wanna know, READ NO FURTHER!!

Here is the American Idol Season 9 Top 24 leaked spoiler list! Is this list correct? Not sure, but last year’s was almost 100% accurate. This spoiler list has been online for a couple weeks now, and starting tonight we will learn if some, YES, only ‘some’ of the names on the list are correct.

Why just some? In an Idol first, AI has revealed to the to the press that they will announce only ‘some’ of the Top 24 names tonight in a two-hour event starting at 8 pm on FOX tonight after their final Hollywood Week solo performances. Then at 9-10 pm on Wednesday night, the final names in the Top 24 list will be revealed.

Says FOX in an email to press: “On Tuesday evening, the remaining contestants will take the stage to perform their final solo number in front of Simon, Ellen, Kara and Randy in hopes of singing their way into the Top 24. Following these performances, the judges will deliberate, and for the first time in IDOL history, will announce some of the Top 24 semifinalists.”

But if you enjoy the news now, he is the rumored Top 24 for Season 9.

If you don’t want to know, turn away now. SPOILER ALERT!!!! This is your FINAL WARNING!!!

Top 12 Guys:
Aaron Kelly

Alex Lambert (That’s ALEX, not ADAM….no relation)

Andrew Garcia (Danny Gokey 2010 look-alike)

Casey James

Chris Golightly

Jermaine Sellers

John Park

Jose Munoz

Lee DeWyze

Michael Lynche

Todrick Hall

Tyler Grady

Top 12 Girls:

Ashley Rodriguez

Crystal Bowersox

Haeley Vaughn

Janell Wheeler

Katelyn Epperly

Katie Stevens

Lilly Scott

Lacey Brown

Michelle Delamor

Paige Miles

Siobhan Magnus

Didi Benami

This will surely make it fun, interesting and exciting as you watch tonight and tomorrow, and see if you agree or disagree with the judges final picks.

You’ll have Eddie Idol’s thoughts and, how many I predicted for the TOP 24……after the Final Solo Performances tonight and tomorrow’s final ‘Top 24 Picks’ show from Hollywood Week…..Stay Tuned!

Kimmy says: Eddie, I can't wait to read what you think about the Top 24!! Don't leaveabitchhanging!!

More Hollywood Week

2010-02-16T09:16:00.003-05:00

Just like every group night of almost every season of "American Idol," we got to witness much drama play out, and basically the first 1/3 of the one hour show was just useless in my opinion. As in past years, contestants had the following issues…..

· Many folks had a difficult time scrambling to form small singing groups, not knowing who to pick, who to trust, who would blend in, etc.

· They had a rough time deciding which song to sing

· Some contestants had personality conflicts with members of their own group or members of other groups

· Some group members were perceived as lazy or really bossy……or even really bitchy!

· Very few contestants got a good night's sleep….big surprise there!

· And the ultimate nightmare, the one that ALWAYS triggers an early exit home.... some contestants forgot the words….C ‘ya!!

The ‘best’ of the ‘bunches’ from Group Night performances……

· A group named "Faith," composed of three female singers, all performed well and all have a good shot at making the Final 24 next week: Michelle Delamor, Charity Vance and Ashley Rodriguez.

· "Middle C," a trio with Janell Wheeler, Jermaine Purifory and Casey James, the ponytail, shirtless guy. All three singers sounded great and were put through.

· "Three Men and a Baby," which included Danny Gokey look-alike Andrew Garcia along with 17-year-old Katie Stevens and J.B. Ahfua, a recent high school graduate who didn't get much air time during the previous episodes, all made it through.

· “Neapolitan," composed of Liz Rooney, Thaddeus Johnson, Jessica Cunningham and Paige Miles all made it through.

· "Destiny's Wild," a quartet of four Neapolitan rivals: Todrick Hall, Theri, Jareb Liewer and Slobhan Magnus.

· "Team Awesome," composed of four guys. I thought the whole group sounded good and worked well together, but the judges sent two guys home: Michael Castro and Seth Rollins. The two advancing to the next round were Tim Urban and the BIG GUY, Michael Lynche, whose wife gave birth just prior to the group's performance.
...

· Aside from the people mentioned so far, some of the more familiar faces who also advanced on Group Night were: Tyler Grady, John Park, Lloyd Thomas, Katelyn Epperly, Tasha Layton, Angela Martin, Christian Spear, Haeley Vaughn and the ‘ultimate’ drama queen Mary ‘It’s All About Me’ Powers.

The bottom line…. In all, 71 of the 96 contestants who made it to Group Night advanced to the next Hollywood round -- the final one before the field gets narrowed down to the top 12 males and the top 12 females on Wednesday night this week.

Fast Facts: Fox executives announced that some of the Top 24 contestants will be revealed during Tuesday's episode, which is a 2-hour show airing 8-10 p.m. and features the final individual performances in Hollywood. Wednesday's show, which airs 9-10 p.m., is when the ‘major drama’ happens when the remaining contestants learn whether they've advanced to the Semifinals.

Idol Chatter: Many of the show's insiders have pushed for a female "Idol Winner" this year. In a recent conference call with reporters, judge Kara DioGuardi said, "I would love to see a girl win." She added, "I do think it's a lot easier to break women than men, actually, in terms of their records once the show is done."

Maybe that's why certain male singers have taken a back seat to singers like Didi Benami and Janell Wheeler when it comes to air time so far this season.

Personally, I do think the girls have much more talent than the guys this year, and you can mark it down now….this year’s winner will be a female!

Watch for ‘leaked’ complete TOP 24 Finalist List coming soon!.......along with more ‘Eddie Idol’ chatter to come after Tuesday night’s Final Performances in Hollywood!

Hollywood Week: Round 1

2010-02-11T20:39:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Hollywood! Round 1 kicked off last night with individual performances in ‘line form’, usually 6-8 folks each. The contestants came out single file and got a chance to perform either a cappella or with their own instrumentation. It was sudden death; if the judges don't like them, they were GONE. Hard to recap many of the contestants as we got brief glimpses of them in many cases, but here’s a recap of the best performances and of those thru to the next round, as best as I can come up with, short on some and long on others….

· Katie Stevens- 17-year-old whose grandmother has Alzheimer's, chose Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life," and while it started out a bit rough, it got better. She has the spirit, a great voice, and a great look. I had her in the TOP 24 from previous audition in Boston….she re-confirmed that belief last night!

· Andrew Garcia- Latino version of Danny Gokey, OH NO!!!....not another Danny Gokey!!??....but with BIGGER eyeglasses and way more talent! He did a slowed-down, soulful version of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" on the guitar, and it was awesome! I would actually buy that single off I-Tunes in a heartbeat. Kara compared his interpretation to some of Adam's work last season, but I thought it was way more like Kris Allen’s work. This kid surprised me….Top 24 material for sure!

· Janell Wheeler –24, from Tampa , FL made another great impression with an acoustic-guitar ramble through Estelle's "American Boy". Thought it was a very solid performance and have had her from the start sneaking into the ‘Top 24’.

· Haeley Vaughn—16 year old wannabe country-pop star, who did a fairly nice take on Taylor Swift's "Change,"….hell, she may have sounded better than Taylor Swift! I’ll be surprised if we see her in the TOP 24, but she does have a ‘niche’ that none of the others have, so she could be a long shot!

· Mary Powers- 28-year-old rocker mom from CA, who sang Pink’s "Sober" and did a nice job with it. She’s the only real ‘rocker’ chick in the group, so I think she has a chance to crack the TOP 24!

· Also making it through to the next round on Day #1 of Hollywood Week was: Fantasia co-star Todrick Hall (surprising!), Chicago's Charity Vance (Top 24 Dark Horse) and Boston's Ashley Rodriguez (possible Season 9 Winner IMHO!), for a total of 46 to make it through on day one

· Lilly Scott- 20 year old sandwich maker/musician from Denver; She went with an acoustic-guitar version of Ella Fitzgerald's "Lullaby of Birdland," which Kara DioGuardi loved. "Everything about you is refreshing," said Kara. First time I’ve seen this girl, didn’t see her in earlier auditions, so based on this performance, I’d say very original and Top 24 material!

· Michael Lynch- stepped to the mic as his wife was about to give birth to their first child, warning all that he had to make it or else he'd be in big trouble. The massive bodybuilder nailed it with a gospel-like take on John Mayer's "Waiting for the World to Change." But hang on….rumor has it he reportedly has been dropped from the show because his father is alleged to have blabbed about his son's Hollywood trip to a local FL paper about making the cut to the TOP 24,….stay tuned!

· Tim Urban- New contestant for me, didn’t see him in earlier auditions….performed with a ‘not so strong’ take on David Cook's "Come Back to Me", but the judges put him through anyway. I though he was weak at best, esp in comparison to David Cook!

· Casey James—Mr. ‘Take Your Shirt Off’ from the Denver, CO auditions, made it through with his gnarly acoustic-blues cover of Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor." Surprisingly did way better than his initial audition…..I was impressed, but not sure he’ll be consistent enough to get to the TOP 24, but Kara’s in love with this kid.

· Didi Bename- 22 year-old waitress out of Hollywood, CA, sang a touching take on DioGuardi's own song "Terrified" that sounded like it was ready for airplay on radio. Simon really liked it and added that he also liked the idea of a folksy waitress making it big. I really like this girl, and As I’ve said from her first audition….She’s TOP 24 material for sure!

· Crystal Bowersox- 23 year-old single mom from Ohio with a great voice! She brought some amazing rock & soul to Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman," getting the rest of the Idol contestants in the audience so hyped they threw in some impromptu backing vocals and gave her a standing ovation! I had her as a Dark horse for TOP 24 before….but put her near the lead in the race for the TOP 24 now!

The bottom line….Lots of talent in last night’s show, it’s too bad we didn’t see more than what we did. Due to the time constraint of an hour, less than 20 performances were actually shown to the television audience. These should be two hour shows! And tonight is Group Round Night, where the contestants sing in groups. Never have been a big fan at all of this process, too many personalities clash, and I really think some talented folks always get screwed on this night. FYI….tonight’s show is at 9-10PM….so set those DVR’s!

Fast Facts: Hollywood Week started with 181 contestants, and 96 folks were put through to Round 2…..which meant 85 were sent home early. Hope they packed a light bag! Personally….I was very surprised when they didn’t send Justin Williams or Maddy Curtis to the group round. I thought they both sang well enough to move on and let’s face it, how can you not love Maddy?

Idol Chatter: We had our first sampling of the Ellen DeGeneres experiment, and frankly, I thought she was refreshing and was a nice balance next to Simon. She was tough but fair, so for someone who wasn’t sure she’d bring much to the panel of judges, she gets a passing grade for her debut. (Kim: Ruh-Roh, Eddie are you fallin' for Ellen?)

More ‘Eddie Idol’ chatter to come after tonight’s ‘Group Round Night’ in Hollywood, but you’ll have to wait until…….after the break!

AI: Final Auditions

2010-02-07T20:48:00.002-05:00

Well, FOX certainly saved the BEST for LAST with last Wednesday night’s Auditions Finale, with some of the best auditions from all the cities that were visited. Certainly some serious talent was shown, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see several folks in the Top 10-12 when it’s all said and done!

Of those ticketed and moving on, here’s Eddie’s thoughts on those that we will see in Hollywood from Wednesday night’s show …..

· Jessica Furney- 20 year-old from KS who showed up at the Denver auditions. She tried out for Idol in 2009 and didn’t make it to Hollywood. She sings a song that was written by Simon, risky move on her part, but Simon and the judges liked it. Doubt she makes it through Hollywood though.

· Amanda Schectman- 19 year-old theatre student from NY who auditioned in Boston. She’s a major drama queen, and Simon was absolutely hilarious in giving her a YES to Hollywood. She’s no Tatiana Nicole Del Toro, but she’s certainly going to demand her share of camera time in Hollywood. This girl will be annoying to say the least!

· Lee Dawyze- 23 year-old who plays guitar, sang “Ain’t No Sunshine” and did it quite well. Not sure he has quite enough talent to get through Hollywood.

· Crystal Bowersox- Another 23 year-old from Ohio who plays guitar and sang Janis Joplin’s “Another Little Piece of My Heart”. Great voice! Dark horse for TOP 24!

· Lacey Brown- 23 year-old from Amarillo, TX. She participated in the Orlando auditions. I remember this girl well, she was Top 50 in Season 8 and was bumped for Megan Joy to move on, which at the time, I thought was a BIG mistake. She’s a very good singer, and has great composure. She sang a very un-traditional version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and it sounded awesome! Her previous experience with Hollywood Week will be an asset. I’m sticking my neck out here and saying she’ll tour….TOP 10!

· Rachel Hubbard- Cute 16-year-old high school student from Boerne, TX. A good voice, but NOT Top 24 material.

· Thaddeus Johnson- Another 16 year-old from OK City, OK….who I did NOT think should have been ticketed at all. Thought he screamed the song, and has pitch and range problems. Will NOT make it thru Hollywood’s first cut…..pack a light bag Thaddeus!

· Genesis Moore- Another 16 year-old high school student from GA who Randy said was ‘one of the best 16-year old’s he’s heard yet’. I thought she was very good too. Dark Horse for TOP 24!

· Michael Lynch- 26 year-old personal trainer from Astoria, NY. BIG guy, massive but well built, with a decent voice. Sang a controlled version of ‘Unchained Melody”…..but struggled with the high notes. This will be his undoing in Hollywood.

· Didi Bename- 22 year-old, out of Hollywood, CA, sang in honor of her friend Rebecca, who died four years earlier. Her bluesy version of the Beatles’ hit song “Hey Jude” was filled with lots of passion and emotion. She kinda’ reminded me of Megan Joy (mentioned her earlier), even had the shoulder shimmy and all….scary! But this girl has way more range and is on a clear path back to possibly go deep in the competition. She’s TOP 24 material for sure!

· Aaron Kelly- 16 year old from Sonestown, PA. Where’s that you say? In Sullivan County, west of Scranton and east of Williamsport. Very tough life for this kid, who’s mom and dad moved around a lot and could not provide properly, so he was taken away and raised by his aunt and uncle. How can you not pull for this kid? According to his MySpace page, he’s been singing since he was 9 and he has clearly prepared for this moment. He attended an Idol Camp in 2007 and competed at Disney World’s new attraction, The American Idol Experience, last year to earn the right to audition in front of Randy, Kara and Simon. His version of Miley Cyrus’s “The Climb” was a fitting choice, and he sang it well. Randy had one of his few good comments this season: “And that voice comes out of somebody shy, which is cooler to me and more endearing.” Watch this kid….TOP 24 for sure!

· Hope Johnson- 19 year old waitress/bartender from Arlington, TX who, like Aaron, has had a very tough life. She has 6 brothers and sisters and comes from a very poor family upbringing. Plays the guitar and is a very cute girl with a likeable personality. Unlike Aaron though, she will have a tougher road. Her version of Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” was stripped down — no bellowing, no runs, no layered notes like Lee Ann’s version, it felt very thin at times. Randy was spot on, telling her to “work on completing your phrases.” I hope she makes it to the Top 24, but I fear she may have a hard time in Hollywood.

The bottom line….Lots of talent in this last show, it’s too bad we didn’t see this much talent and more week in and week out during the auditions on FOX. Look for some of these folks to go far!

Fast Facts: One again, the FINAL breakdown of Golden tickets handed out: 26 in Denver. 31 tickets in Dallas, 23 in Los Angeles, 31 in Orlando, 13 in Chicago, 25 in Atlanta and 32 in Boston……181 total going to Hollywood out of over 100,000 Idol contestants…..and only 24 (Top 12 Guys and Top 12 Girls) will compete for the Season 9 Title after Hollywood Hell Week, which will air this week and next week on FOX, is all over. The TOP 24 Finalists will be announced on Wednesday night, February 17^th from 9-10PM.

Idol Chatter: I bought Kris Allen’s Album debut off of I-Tunes, a 12-song compilation that after a few listens, sounds good. It’s what I expected from Kris. I’m not blown away by it, but I’d highly recommend it. I will admit that Adam Lambert’s CD is definitely growing on me! His ballads are just incredible, and the ‘Mad World’ song is hauntingly amazing. (Kimmy: Oh yes, 'Mad World' is indeed entrancing!!)

OK, so….are you ready for Ellen? I’m not sure I’m ready, and truth be told, I’m not quite sure just what she’ll bring to the table. More ‘Eddie Idol’ chatter to come after Tuesday night’s first show from Hollywood and the first taste of the Ellen DeGeneres experiment on FOX, but for now……Eddie Idol is…..OUT!

Eddie Idol's Shizz on the AI Denver Auditions

2010-02-03T22:07:00.006-05:00

LOST: The Final Season!

Kim: Ooops, sorry! I mean .....

Perhaps my expectations were a little too high last evening, especially after last week's entertaining Idol show in Dallas, which was packed with talent! But last night’s AI one-hour show, with auditions from Denver, CO, which gave us Season 5 Idol Star Chris Daughtry, lacked any real serious talent. There was just no WOW factor at all. A total of 26 contestants got tickets punched to Hollywood, but I doubt we see any of them in the Final 10-15 spots. Victoria Beckham was again the guest judge, only thing is she still looks anorexic, and just how many times did she compliment a contestant's face, teeth, hair or clothing style and said absolutely nothing about the person's singing skills. This isn’t ‘Project Runway’ babe! Ugh!? Bring back Shania!

Of the 26 moving on, here’s my thoughts on the BEST that we got to hear and see in the Mile High City…..

· Mark Labrioal- 28 year old Jack Black look-alike from Aurora, Co. Sings “Tempted”, and has a surprisingly good voice. He also has a very questionable past, or at least his parents do. Seems as though mom may be running from the law in one of the 50 states somewhere! Doubt he makes it through Hollywood.

· Kimberly Kerbow- 24 year old student/single mom from CA. She’s certainly an attractive girl with a bubbly and boldpersonality, and also with a good voice….but a not-so-good wig, or at least that’s what Kara and Simon pointed out. I wouldn’t have caught it. Dark Horse for Top 24 because I think she’s got the personality and the looks, and she did get to Simon a bit.

· Danelle Hayes- 24 year old mom from Seattle, who doubles as a singer-songwriter and a karaoke host. Very emotional during the whole audition, has had a tough life preparing for her big break. She sings Melissa Etheridge’s “I’m The Only One” and does rather well. Great song choice for her, as she has a big, raspy voice, so it worked. Judges all love her, and I hope she goes far too! I have her as a lock for the TOP 24.

· Casey James- 27 year old musician from Austin, TX who had a very bad motorcycle accident at 21. Kara was ‘GA-GA’ over him, as was Beckham, and Kara even had him take his shirt off! Simon blasted him, saying he had "no charisma, no effort, no attempt," but the females loved him, so Randy was the tie-breaker and put him through to Hollywood. He won’t be there long, but could easily become a model if the singing career doesn’t work out.

· Tori Kelly- Very cute 16-year-old high school student from Kenny Lake, CA, who looks way more mature than 16. She sang John Mayer's "Gravity" and received 3 yes’s from the Judges, with Simon the only one who didn’t like her. I thought she had a nice voice with good pitch and range, so I’ll put her in the TOP 24!

· Nicki Nix- 22 year old from Florence, Italy who flew 14 hours to get to the audition. Talks very ‘nasally’ and sounds quite annoying, like she just sucked helium from a balloon! But when she sings, her voice becomes much deeper and she actually sounded pretty good. She gets 4 yes’s and if she can keep the talking to a minimum in Hollywood and ‘just sing’, she just may crack the Top 24! I’ll put her in as a ‘dark horse’.

· Haeley Vaughn- Another 16-year-old high school student who is hoping to become "the first black pop-country, kinda-mainstream singer." She boldly sings Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name” and shows that she has a strong voice with good range, with a likeable personality as well. Does have a lisp that could become an issue. She’s definitely got a niche to go after in wanting to become a black pop-country singer, but I doubt she goes very far at all in the competition.

The bottom line…. At the end of the day, we got 26 Golden tickets, but again, no real ‘knock your socks off’ performances. And for all the supposedly talented folks in Denver that Ryan Seacrest mentioned all night long, we only saw 7 of the 26 ticketed to Hollywood actually perform, a little over 25%! PLEASE FOX…..TAKE ME TO HOLLYWOOD ALREADY!

Fast Facts: For those keeping count, here’s a breakdown of Golden tickets handed out so far: 26 in Denver. 31 tickets in Dallas, 23 in Los Angeles, 31 in Orlando, 13 in Chicago, 25 in Atlanta and 32 in Boston.

Idol Chatter: We're FINALLY at the end of the early audition round! Additional audition footage from all cities will air on Fox tonight (Feb. 3) at 9 p.m. before the show heads into the highly competitive Hollywood rounds next Tuesday, Feb. 9. So remember to set the DVR’s for tonight’s show, which is on in a later time slot, from 9-10 PM.

More ‘Eddie Idol’ chatter to come after the FINAL auditions tonight on Fox, but first……Eddie needs a break!

Kim: Sorry peeps, I was absent last night -- it was the LOST Final Season Premiere!! And my head is still spinning from it!! What in the Sam Hell is going on???? Help me Jacob, Help me Locke, Help me Jack and please, oh please, Help me SAWYER!!!

AI: Dallas Auditions

2010-01-31T23:16:00.003-05:00

Hoping for a bigger and better audition show, where else for FOX and AI to turn to but BIG D for last Wednesday night’s AI one-hour show with auditions from Dallas, TX, which gave us our first Idol Star in Kelly Clarkson. A total of 31 contestants got tickets punched to Hollywood, tying Boston and Orlando for the most tickets with the auditions completed to date. Neil Patrick Harris and Joe Jonas were the guest judges, and NPH was way better than JJ (Kim: Eddie, as always, I love you, NPH was great!), and both were a considerable upgrade over the train wreck in LA with Katy ‘trash-mouth’ Perry and the devilish Avril Lavigne.

Of the 31 moving on, here’s my thoughts on the BEST that we got to hear and see in BIG ‘D’…..

· Lloyd Thomas- 25 year old dock worker. Sings “Overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder. Stevie W is always a bold choice, and he does a really nice job with it, and he's super-likable, so that's definitely good for him. Simon even tells him that he's the best audition that he's seen all day, and he gets a unanimous "yes." Cousin Greg, EIWBIT (Eddie Idol Wanna’ Be In Training) says Top 15…I beg to differ, but do think he has the chance as a dark horse for TOP 24

· Kim Carver- 26 year old teacher from Denton, TX. Sings an original song, which is always ballsy. (Kim: Ballsy, it's usually the Kiss of Death) She has a great voice, though the song kinda’ sucks. Simon doesn't find her unique or interesting either, but she gets “yes’s” from all the others and is through. Doubt she makes it through Hollywood Week.

· Erica Rhodes- 23 year old grad student who may be the only person in the history of the competition who uses a ridiculous costume to positive effect instead of negative. She used to be on Barney and Friends so in order to distance herself from that part of her life, she's dressed up like a dominatrix. WOW….crack that whip baby! Randy asks her to sing the Barney song in the outfit, and it's pretty creepy, but she's a good singer and the whole thing kind of works in an odd kind of way. Then she sings "Free Your Mind," by En Vogue, which truth be told I’ve never even heard of (Kim: Tsk, Tsk, Eddie, gonna hafta to teach you a lesson in the "playroom" -- En Vogue's Free Your Mind was awesomesauce). Unfortunately, she kind of sings it out of her nose, and not nearly as good as the Barney song. But she’s through with a unanimous vote. I think she has the look and personality to go far, she’s TOP 24 for sure, but don’t she’ll go too deep in the competition after that.

· Dave Pittman- 27 year old from Arkansas who has Tourette's syndrome, but it doesn't affect him when he's singing. He sings "Bring It On Home To Me" by Sam Cooke, and he does have a really nice voice that surprises the judges -- it's quite different from his speaking voice in just about every way. He gets a unanimous "yes." Hope this kid makes it through Hollywood. (Kim: Sorry, Eddie, but I gotta step in here and say that the ONLY reason this guy made it thru was .... Tourette's = RATINGS -- I will FO SHO watch!)

· Todrick Hall- 24 year old Actor/Playwright who starts out DAY 2 of the auditions. He was in The Color Purple with Idol-winner Fantasia, which is a big plus for him, but he's singing an original song he wrote all about the show. Kind of odd, but it’s catchy and he has a pretty good voice, so he’s through with 4 “yes’s”… though Simon’s not enamored with him much at all.

· Dawntoya Thomson- gets a ticket after we here her for a about 10 seconds, sounded OK.

· Stephanie Daulong- 24 year old ‘bandana girl’ gets through as well, sounded good in her short bit of face time.

· Megan Wright- 20 year old from Richardson, TX. She sings "To Make You Feel My Love" by Garth Brooks, and she's pretty decent. Being a big Garth fan, it's not the greatest thing I've ever heard, but she's good. She does seem to be the type though like she could be kind of annoying, so I doubt she makes it past Hollywood Hell Week. (Kim: Really, Eddie? You're a BIG Garth fan????)

· Christian Spears- 16 year old who was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 4 years old, and has been in remission since she was 8. She's singing an Etta James song, "All I Could Do Was Cry." She's not the greatest I've ever heard, but it's a good song choice, and considering she’s ONLY 16, she's pretty damn good. She gets a unanimous "yes." I could see her in the TOP 24, but not having strong enough vocals needed to get much farther.

The bottom line…. At the end of the day, we got 31 Golden tickets, but I'm not sure we have the next Kelly Clarkson! And YES…. I’ll continue to VENT here about the quality of what we all see and hear on the show, as the % of folks with talent that we actually see continues to go down. Only 9 of the 31 folks ticketed to Hollywood from Orlando received some FOX air time, that’s less than 1/3 of the best that Dallas had to offer and worse %’s than Orlando. PLEASE FOX…..LESS FREAKS AND MORE TALENT! (Kim: YAY!! The FREAKS are winning!)

Fast Facts: The Denver, CO auditions on Tuesday night, Feb 2^nd is the last of the city touring auditions, with Victoria Beckham returning as the Guest Judge for the final auditions in Denver. Wednesday’s show is being touted as ‘The Road To Hollywood’ installment episode.

Idol Chatter: Tension already between Simon and new AI judge Ellen DeGeneres? Ellen joins the cast (I can hardly wait….NOT!) in place of Paula Abdul starting Tuesday, Feb 9^thin Hollywood. Simon’s constant tardiness allegedly has Ellen upset with him. Who cares Ellen…Simon IS the show!!

More ‘Eddie Idol’ chatter to come after the final Denver auditions this week, but until then….Eddie Idol is….OUT!

Kimmy has a bit more to say .... tho not concerning American Idol.

Just wanted to pass on that Michael Jackson: This Is It -- is Brilliant!! Loved it enough to go out and buy it (on DVD now)! I can't even tell you how many times I replayed "Beat It," trying to get the dance sequence right (LOL)!

Oh and For The Record, I CAN Moonwalk! And I know the Thriller Dancing Ghoul routine! BWAHAHAHA! Srsly. Don't judge, you know there's a few of you who do too!

So sad, that such a brilliant career and special person's life was cut short, whatever the circumstances. His children, Prince & Paris appeared tonight on the Grammy Awards and they are a Testament to the Man that we will never know. Yes, there has been controversy, but if he was so BAD, how could he have raised such lovely children?

THANK YOU MICHAEL -- I MISS YOU!

AI: LA's Disappointing Auditions

2010-01-27T19:23:00.002-05:00

Tuesday night’s AI one-hour show with auditions from ‘Sin City’ in LA was a very disappointing show, with little talent, or should I say the ‘little bit’ talent that we were shown on FOX’s 1-hour broadcast. UGH! This is getting old and tiring watching all the freaks! (Kim: Aw Eddie -- me likey the FREAKS!!) A total of 23 contestants (and oh by the way, 11,000 showed up to try out!) got tickets punched to perform up the street in Hollywood in a few more weeks.

Of the 23 moving on, and we ONLY saw 5 get any serious face time, here’s Eddie’s short and sweet thoughts on the small talent pool we got to see from LA…..

· Jim Ranger- 27 year old Pastor from Bakersfield, CA who sang his own song. Big raspy voice, and thought he did well, but doubtful he’ll get past Hollywood. Avril Lavigne didn’t like him, but who cares, think it was pretty rude and immature for her to sit there with a ‘horned’ costume on and slam the guy for being a pastor and having a family.

· Mary Powers-28 year old singer from Burbank. Rocker chick, all decked out in her chains and black leather, who sang Pat Benatar’s “Love Is A Battlefield.” Raspy, punk-rock voice who has a chance because of the ‘rocker look’, but just don’t know if she has the pipes to get to the Top 24 at this point.

· Andrew Garcia -23 year old Musician from CA who came from a rough background. He grew up with both parents in gangs and now is a father himself and wants better for his family. Plays guitar and sang OK, but not sure he can hit the high notes. He’ll get plenty of the ‘pity’ votes, but don’t look for him to go far, even though Simon and Kara think he’s REALLY, REALLY Good!!! Geez….how many times did we hear REALLY!!?? I mean REALLY….come on! And here’s the kiss of death for him….he looks like Danny Gokey…REALLY!!

· Natasha Layton-26 year old Personal Asst by day, Minister by night, who sang Joss Stone’s “‘Baby, Baby, Bay” and absolutely nailed it!! Personally…this girl has the whole package, and she’s Eddie’s favorite from ALL of the auditions so far. Like Simon, I think people will really like her! She’s TOP 24 material, and I think she could easily be in the TOP 10. Can I get an AMEN!?

· Chris Golightly- 25-year-old LA shoe salesman Chris Golightly, who spent his childhood bouncing around between 25 foster families, wow! He channeled his pain by emotionally singing Ben E King’s “Stand By Me” and did a wonderful job and impressed all the judges except Katy Perry. Top 24 for sure, and I hope this kid goes much farther!

The bottom line….The two guest judges in LA were NOT very good! Katy Perry was OK, but a little too cocky and outspoken for me. (Kimmy: Now Eddie, don't hate on Katy! Russell Brand will kick your bum!) She and Kara were cat-fighting most of the time, many times at odds on the talent level of the better contestants, esp Chris G., the last kid. Avril Lavigne was just plain horrible! (Kimmy: AGREED!!) Very immature and silly looking in her ‘horned-devil costume’….what was that about anyway? How she was picked for a guest judge spot is mind-boggling. She brought absolutely nothing significant to the show.

Good thing we’re getting Idol at 8PM tonight and before having to sit through Barack’s ‘State of The Union Address’. It’s off to the ‘BIG D’ in Dallas where the Guest Judges will be Joe Jonas (from the Jonas Brothers) and Neil Patrick Harris. More ‘Eddie Idol’ chatter to come tomorrow…..after the break!

Joe Jonas

Neil Patrick Harris

Or Dr. Horrible to the rest of us!

Kimmy: Joe Jonas? hmmm, THAT should be interesting?? and me likey Neil Patrick Harris TONS!! He should be great! Thanks Eddie!! Oh and Whatup Eddie -- you DON'T have anything to say about the ADAM-ALIKES last night??

Eddie Idol's Wednesday Night Review!

2010-01-22T09:58:00.003-05:00

Idol was Looking to get back on track after some horrendous auditions in Chicago. Wednesday night’s AI one-hour show with auditions from sunny and warm Orlando, FL was filled with many rough auditions, but unlike like what we heard and witnessed in Chicago, at least there was considerably more talent. 10,000 hopefuls showed up, and a total of 31 contestants got tickets punched to Hollywood, tying Boston for the most tickets with the auditions completed to date.

Kristen Chenoweth was the guest judge, and brings her petite stature, sexiness and bubbly personality to the set, but only stays one day, what??.....so I felt a little ripped off…I mean, after all, we’ll have to put up with Ellen D soon! UGH! (Kim: Now Eddie, don't be hatin' on Ellen!)

Of the 31 moving on, and let me AGAIN say that I don’t think the producers at FOX do the show justice by hurrying through a handful of ticketed contestants….but here’s my thoughts from sunny FL…..

· Seth Rollins- 28 year old who has a son with Autism. Sings ‘’Someone to Watch Over Me’’ by Frank Sinatra and does pretty good, impresses the judges and gets 4 YES’s. Don’t think he carries himself well enough to make it through Hollywood though.

· Jermaine Purifoy-24 year old from Cleveland, TN. Season 7 contestant who’s back for a 2nd try, said he didn’t take it seriously enough last time. He's singing Tony Bennett's version of ‘‘Smile’’ and he does a really nice job with it. It's a perfect song choice, as he has the type of personality that will give him a shot at going deep in the competition. Randy actually says he's the best that he's heard all audition season, so naturally, he gets a unanimous ‘yes’. Definitely ‘Top 24’ material here!

· Shelby Dressel-Final contestant of day #1. Pretty 18 year old gal who’s 7th intracranial nerve wasn't developed, so she can't completely use the right side of her face. It's a source of insecurity for her, and she was quite nervous in affront of the judges. She sang ‘’Turn Me On’’ by Norah Jones, loved the song choice and the artist, and although she’s not the greatest, she's pretty good considering her disability. Unfortunately, she totally forgets the words toward the end of her performance, but she does it in such a cute way, it actually makes the judges like her more. She gets four ‘yes’ votes, and has a chance to do well in Hollywood if she can overcome the disability she has. Dark Horse for Top 24.

· Jay Stone- 25 year old from Miami, Fl. Up first on day 2 and he's singing ‘’Come Together’’ by the Beatles. He’s a beat-boxer, just like Blake Lewis from Season 7, and he's actually very talented. Simon doesn’t care for him, but Kara enjoys it and says ‘yes’. Then he starts singing ‘‘Ain't No Sunshine’’, & Randy’s impressed and thinks he's really good, so 2 out of 3 ‘Yes’ votes sends him to Hollywood. Take my word for it, he’ll be gone well before the Top 24 is announced.

· Janell Wheeler- 24 year old from Tampa, FL sings ‘’House of the Rising Sun’’ by The Animals, and is surprisingly good. Good looks and bubbly too, has the package to possibly sneak into the ‘Top 24’.

· Brittany Star James- 23 year old Entertainer from FL….she sings like a cruise ship performer, but is ticketed to Hollywood anyway. She won’t make it far at all.

· Kasi Beford- 19 year old from FL with a raspy voice who sings ‘’Something to Talk About’’ and is also ticketed to Hollywood, but I thought she was a poor singer. No future here for her in my eyes or ears!

· Cornelius Edwards- 24 years old from Boynton, Fl. Sings Tina Turner’s ‘’Proud Mary’’, drops down and does a split so violently that his pants get a rip down a foot or so along his leg! The whole thing is hilarious to the judges, who give him all YES votes, not because he's that great, but because they're so shocked at the performance. This guy has little chance of going much farther at all.

· Bernadette Desimone and Amanda Desimone- Pair of sisters from Cherry Hill, NJ. Bernadette goes first, and she's actually pretty good. She's got a sexy, bluesy thing going on, and she sings, ‘’Hit the Road, Jack’’. Amanda isn't as good, but is still OK. Simon does NOT want to see them both go through to Hollywood. They don't get a unanimous decision, but they're both going to Hollywood, and Kara thinks they'll be pretty entertaining….I think they’ll get on peoples nerves really quick, esp. in a ‘group song session’. (Kim: TRUFAX on that Eddie!!) They’ll be taking a red-eye back east sooner than later!

· Matt Lawrence- 25 year old guy from Stark, FL who’s only hope is for ‘redemption’. Matt robbed a bank with a BB gun when he was 15 and spent four birthdays behind bars. Seriously?!! (Kim: Yeah, I was LMAO @ his story, sorry) Appropriately Matt chooses to sing ‘‘Trouble’’ and he's got pretty great tone with good range. Simon says he’s “brilliant" and says it was so believable that Matt almost could have written the song. Say what??? (Kim: I with you on that one, whatever Simon's smoking, I want some!) Kara completely agrees with Simon…oh puleeeeez! (Kim: Suck-up!) Anyway, it's off to Hollywood for Matt, who Kara predicts will make the Top 12. Doubtful…..though this kid does remind me of Michael Sarver, the oil rig guy from last year who made it into the Top 10…so who knows, I guess it could happen.

The bottom line….The talent was much better in Orlando, but the % of folks with talent that we actually see or hear continues to go down. Only 10 of the 31 folks ticketed to Hollywood from Orlando received some FOX air time, that’s only 1/3 of the best that Orlando had to offer.

Less freaks and more talent, that’s what I say! (Kim: More FREAKS, less Talent!)

Fast Facts: Think Idol isn’t popular? General Larry Platt’s ‘‘Pants on the Ground’’ video has reached 5 Million hits on YouTube and 1 million on Facebook! WOW!!

Idol Chatter: Season 8’s Top 2 finalists are continuing to perform well with music sales. Kris Allen’s single, “Live Like We’re Dying,” has sold approximately 500,000 downloads, charting at #27 on the singles charts. Adam Lambert’s debut single, “For Your Entertainment,” has sold just over 200,000 downloads. Kris Allen’s album has sold about 240,000 copies, and Adam’s has sold about 460,000.

I have Adam’s CD (thanks Kimmy!) and overall I think it’s a solid debut, but don’t think he’s found his true identity just yet. (Kim: I have to agree there Eddie. I liked some of the songs, but some were too Broadway for me)

Thanks Eddie! Kimmy never misses a chance to post a Glambert Pic!!

OK…..so next week we’re off to the ‘BIG D’ in Dallas and then to the ‘City of Angels’ in LA…..Guest judges will be Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne. More ‘Eddie Idol’ chatter to come after those auditions, but until then….Eddie Idol is….OUT!

AI Chicago Auditions!

2010-01-20T21:53:00.002-05:00

PANTZ ON THE GROUND!!

Last night’s AI One-Hour Show (thank God it was only an hour!!) with auditions from Chicago could easily have been called the ‘Gong Show’ or ‘The Windy City Freak Show’! It truly was one of the most disappointing auditions ever, and the talent level from that city’s 12,000 contestants, yes, I said 12,000 (most of any auditions yet this year) was just terrible! Only a bakers dozen, or should I say ‘Lucky’ 13 folks (Yes…again, that’s ONLY 13 out of 12,000!!!???) got tickets punched to Hollywood…..incredibly BAD #’s to say the least!

Of the 13 moving on, I don’t think AI even did the show justice by showing us enough of them, only seeing 8 of the 13, and the last three contestants ticketed were for all of 15 seconds each, but….from what was shown…..here’s my thoughts:

Katelyn Epperly-19 year old, good looking girl from a broken family, and she’s doing this for her mom. I didn’t know the song she did, ‘Syrup and Honey’ by Duffy, but she sounded great none the less, and had great range with her voice. I think she has ‘IT’ and will go far, a lock for the Top 24!
Charity Vance-16 year old from Arkansas who sings for her parents' home salon customers and thinks she's honed her skills there. She looks good and has much energy, but has a ‘small’ voice according to the judges, and she gets 4 yes’s. I think she has the personality to stand out in Hollywood, just not sure she has the pipes.
Angela Martin- 28 years old who returns for her third audition! She has a daughter with special needs whom we met in Season 7; since then, Shriners Hospital contacted her to offer help caring for her daughter. Her father passed away just a week before Hollywood that season as well. Last season, she made the Top 50 and then had to miss a day of auditions due to a court date for a traffic violation….ouch! So, as we're reminded several times, she has some unfinished business….and she does very well, singing ‘Just Fine’ by Mary J Blige. Great song choice and she was definitely better than any performer so far in the auditions that I’ve seen. Cousin Greg, ‘Eddie Idol Wanna’ Be’, chimed in ‘Top 10 for sure!’….and I’d have to agree with him!
John Park- 20 year old Asian Student who Shania had the hot-trot for! :-0 Good looking kid, eye candy for the ladies, but doesn’t have a good enough voice to go very far.
Paige DeChausse—21 year old, nice girl, who had a horrible asthma attack when she was 15 and nearly died. She sings some Sam Cooke, and I think she sounded pretty good. Simon thinks it's a little too much about her, and uses my favorite Simon word….indulgent, & votes no. Shania and Kara vote yes, but Randy isn't sure. The ladies urge him to vote YES! This girl could have some health issues during the competition that may affect her performances. If she can battle through those, she could make the TOP 24!
Justin Ray- 20 year old from Indiana. 15 seconds of face time singing ‘Hurt So Bad’ but sounded pretty good. Called his mom on the cell after the show to tell her he was going to Hollywood. He’ll be calling her shortly after he gets there to tell her he’s on his way back home too!
Keith Sample- Guitar playin’ musician who sounded pretty good vocally in the little bit of time he had. Cousin Greg chimed in again, ‘Sleeper’ he says….and I agree, Dark Horse for the Top 24.
Marcus Jones—18 year old ‘soulful’ guy from Gary, IN….not sure on this guy, has some pipes, but the jury is still out on this kid.

Bottom line….Overall a VERY WEAK show, and no Adam Lambert types for me to pick out from last nights contestants…but it was refreshing to see Shania Twain be opinionated, yet very refreshing and full of energy! I’ve always liked her, and she still has the great personality with the great looks to go with it.

Fast Facts: Next to San Francisco last year (12), last night was the LOWEST # of tickets (13) given to Hollywood in the history of the show auditions.

Idol Chatter: Anyone see Adam Lambert’s video from his appearance on Oprah’s Show? Lambert looked good and sounded great doing his newest single (3^rd one in the Top 100) called ‘If I had You’….catchy tune that’s a hybrid between a dance hit and a power ballad…..sounds odd, but it works!

OK…..so Chicago wasn’t ‘my kind of town’, and tonight it’s off to sunny Orlando, FL……a great place to hopefully have more winners than losers! Until tomorrow…..Eddie Idol……OUT!

AI Season 9

2010-01-18T11:46:00.004-05:00

Is off and running, with the auditions this past week held in Boston and Atlanta.

Guest judges are new this year through Feb 9th , when Ellen DeGeneres joins the panel, and last week we had Victoria Beckham (who’s so damn skinny she looks anorexic!) in Boston and Mary J Blige in Atlanta.

Aside from all the ‘looney tuners’ on these city-touring auditions, I always like to concentrate on finding the ‘real talent’ the show has, and who just might make it into the Top 24 and make a run at being this season’s American Idol!

Granted, all the people ‘golden-ticketed’ for Hollywood aren’t all shown, but of the ones that were…..here we go! Let’s start in Boston……

· Maddy Curtis-16 years old, from VA. Sang Jeff Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’. How can you not love this girl, who draws inspiration from her three brothers, all with Down’s Syndrome. She’s sincere and authentic…..she’ll find a spot in the Top 24.

· Jennifer Hirsh—Broadway girl from Manhattan, did ‘Ding Dog The Witch Is Dead’…..odd….only 15 seconds of fame, but doubt she gets past Hollywood.

· Claire Fuller- Local Philly, PA girl, with a raspy voice and the look to go far. · Jesse Wolfe- 24 year old booking agent from Brooklyn, NY. Only saw for a few seconds, too little and too early to tell.

· Amadeo Diricco-28 year old Italian guy who treated us to his family and home, with all the foods Italians love. Sang Muddy Waters ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’, surprisingly sounded pretty good. Hollywood will be his undoing….he’s too over the top and will not make it past Hollywood tryouts and Group Singing Sessions.

· Luke Shaffer- NY City boy, good voice and good range, looks like a keeper.

· Ben Bright- Rome, NY guy who sang an odd but interesting version of the Beatles ‘All My Loving’….he’s on to Hollywood buy my bet that’s as far as he goes!

· Ashley Rodriguez—Final contestant from Day #1 in Boston. Berkley School of Music grad who has ‘IT’! Sultry beauty who dazzled Kara and Simon, BEST of Day #1 auditions. San a tough Alicia Keys song ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ and did it well. She’s a lock for the Top 24……book it!

· Tyler Grady- 19 year old from Nazareth, PA (another local boy) who fell out of a tree and broke both his wrists. He’s a drummer in a band, and has talent! Has the Jim Morrison look and voice to go far. I’ll say Top 24 for this kid.

· Mike Davis—18 year old actor on a boat called ‘Codzilla’ in Boston. Sang Beatles song ‘Yesterday’. Nice tone, good pitch and well done. Not past Hollywood though.· Katie Stevens- Idol hyped this 16 year old from Middlebury, CT all night long, and she didn’t disappoint. Inspired by her Grandma who has Alzheimer’s and only speaks to her in Portuguese. She sang ‘ At Last, and aside from a little pitchiness, did well. Think she’ll make it into the Top 24.

· Joshua Blaylock- 28 year old from NY who is a nice kid, but just not enough assertiveness and confidence to go very far in the competition. Was asked to tell Simon to ‘Shut Up’….he did, and was ticketed through to Hollywood.

· Justin Williams- Good looking, 27 year old vocal coach who had cancer and is now cancer free. Sang ‘Feelin Good’ and is totally a crooner like Michaels Buble’! Book his spot in the Top 24 now!

· Leah Laurenti- Last contestant of day #2 in Boston. 22 –year old from Bedford, NY who sang ‘Blue Skies’ and sounded great. Lacks some confidence, but has the jazzy voice, good looks and sexiness to make an impact. EZ pick for the Top 24!

After two days of auditions, Boston had 31 folks ticketed to Hollywood, of which only 15 had face and air time during the two-hour premiere. So bottom line is we only got to see 50% of those given the ‘golden parachute’ to Hollywood….that’s unfortunate that we don’t see way more of these talented folks, so here’s hoping we saw the BEST.

Night #2 of Idol week #1 was the auditions in Atlanta, a city it has visited more than any others to see what the talent in the South looks like this year. Atlanta is the birthplace of Ryan Seacrest, and has given us past AI Superstars Reuben Studdard, Fantasia, Clay Aiken and Jennifer Harris. Mary J Blige served as the guest judge, and she was basically not very opinionated or helpful with her critique and comments at all. Here’s the best from HotLanta…..

· Keia Johnson-Cute 26 year old Miss America contestant from Memphis, TN. Sang the ‘Titanic’ song, but thought she screamed it. Don’t think she will go far at all. · Miriam Lemnouni- 25 year old equestrian trainer, big girl, with a voice that has potential, but her time was short, so not much to go on at this point.

· Noel Reese- 16 year old from NC, belted a Whitney Houston song with her fantastic voice in her 15 seconds of fame. Possible Top 24.

· Tisha Holland- 18 year old soul singer with a really good voice! Short air time, but made the most of it. Possible Top 24 finalist here.

· Jermaine Sellers- 26 year old Church Singer who sang ‘What If God Is One of Us’. Randy Jackson loved this kid, said it was the BEST audition so far in all the cities, and Cousin Greg (who had more to say than Mary J Blige!) said that this kid could go far. I agree…Top 24 for sure!

· Vanessa Wolfe-19 year old ‘bridge-jumping’ girl from very rural Vonore,TN. Last contestant of Day #1 in Atlanta. This girl is a country singer and more than likely ‘country only’. She does play guitar which could help her in Hollywood. She needs to be coached before going to Hollywood though or she’ll be eaten up. Her sincerity was quite emotional! I wish her well and hope she makes the Top 24.

· Holly Harden- 20 year old Guitar Girl who sang a Loretta Lynn song and did quite well with it. Needs to get way more serious though if she wants to make it past Hollywood. Won’t go far at all.

· Malorie Haley—Stunning 19 year old girl from Winner, SD (love the name of the town she’s from) who sang a Janis Joplin song and took a piece of everyone’s heart. Has the ‘look’ but not sure as much the voice to go very far, but I do think she’ll make the Top 24.

· Antonio ‘Skii Bo Ski’ Wheeler- Entertaining contestant who was WAY over the top! Going to Hollywood, but that’s where the trip ends for ‘Bo Ski’ boy!

· Carmen Turner— BFFs Lauren Sanders and Carmen Turner came as a pair to audition, two adorable southern girls who have been best friends since third grade. Lauren sang in a sweet soprano; Carmen sang with much more power and beauty. Simon and others found Carmen to be much more talented. Randy, Kara and Mary gave the “yes” vote to Carmen but not Lauren. Simon offered the “consolation” that he would have said no to both, and predicted that they won’t be far apart for long. I’d have to agree!

· Bryan Walker-25 year old singing police officer who sang ‘Superstar’ by Reuben Studdard. Not a bad voice, but not great. He was ticketed to Hollywood, but will get a round trip ticket as he’ll be heading home fairly quickly! Simon sat out the singing Police Officer’s audition and some others with a migraine headache, and grow increasingly annoyed, returning at the end for the BEST that Atlanta had to offer!

General Larry Platt, 62 years young, came in last on Day #2 to sing “Pants on the Ground.” A supposedly original song, the tune was something which entreated young folks to ‘pull up their pants’. Platt even had a few twists & turns and break dancing moves to go with his number. It was an INSTANT HIT! People have been talking about it for days, and I can GUARANTEE that Mr. Platt will be part of the AI Finale in March, maybe with a well known rapper doing the song with him….book it now! This is one that will not be forgotten.

For the final tally, Atlanta auditions handed out 25 more golden tickets to Hollywood, of which we only watched 11 of the 25 folks heading west get any air time.All-in-all, a solid opening week for AI Season 9, but it disturbs me why more talented folks are not shown and less freaks get the air time….but I’m still looking forward to see what Chicago (w/Shania Twain as Guest Judge) and Orlando have in store this week! Until Tuesday and Wednesday night’s shows …..Eddie Idol….OUT!

Idol’s Worst Fears Over: Eddie Idol Returning

2010-01-12T18:15:00.006-05:00

by Danny Gokey, of the Idol-News Network

Tuesday January 12, 2010, 2:52 PM

COLLEGEVILLE, PA—After much deliberation and negotiation with AI officials and FOX affiliates, local media sources are reporting that as of earlier this afternoon, Eddie Idol is returning! There were fears that the country’s premiere critic and blogger of TV’s most successful show would not return for the new Season, Season 9, which has a 2-hour premiere on FOX tonight at 8-10PM EST. This would have been a crippling blow to the show, already losing Paula Abdul last summer and the devastating announcement by Simon Cowell yesterday that this would be his final season on AI.

Reached at his home earlier today, Eddie had this to say, “I’m just glad to get all this over with and behind me, it’s been mentally draining and the negotiations were just brutal.” He further added that “after Simon’s surprising announcement yesterday, and confiding in some close friends, I knew the show couldn’t take any more bad news….so I decided to return. Now I can get down to concentrating on the show and sharing my thoughts on the many contestants, and blogging to the millions of readers and dedicated fans. Their support was overwhelming through all this.”

Fans, friends and family close to the situation were just as relieved that Eddie Idol is back.

Kim Toth, Blogger Queen from the Pottstown Mercury, was ecstatic, “I was e-mailing with Eddie the last few nights, and told him he had my full support. No one knows the show like Eddie!”

Cousin Greg Greis, a huge follower over the years, said “he’s the BEST, and he knows talent like he knows his wines. I call him after every show to get his thoughts, and they are always right on. The show scored a BIG media win by having him come back.”

Ed’s brother Ron added, “This is a huge announcement and I’m happy for him. He loves the show, and in my opinion, should be first in line to be considered as Simon’s replacement on the judges panel in 2011 for Season 10.”

Long time friend and colleague Ray Young stated “Ed has a knack for really recognizing who the best talent is right from the auditions. A few years ago he picked Katherine McPhee out of the auditions and proclaimed her his winner in Season 5. Of course we all know that Taylor Hicks beat her in the final, so that’s a sour pill for Ed, but still….the guy knows how to pick a winner.”

Long time girlfriend Kathleen Thomer said, “He has passion for the show like no one I know. He’s a little ‘edgy’ with his words and can be even more critical than Simon at times, but that’s Eddie, he never holds back.”

Publisher Tom Abbott of the Pottstown Mercury completed the accolades by saying, “this is BIG news for all Idol fans and especially for our paper. The Blog that Ed writes will get millions of hits from all over the world, so we re very happy he decided to come back for another Season. It puts the Mercury in the national and worldwide media spotlight.”

So, the fun on FOX all starts tonight, so be sure to tune in with Eddie Idol and millions of others around the world for an exciting Season 9 that is sure to be full of surprises and many changes! Kara Dioguardi is back, along with Big Dog Randy Jackson, host Ryan Seacrest, and of course Simon for his final swan song, but replacing Paula Abdul on the judges panel is Ellen DeGeneres. That will not happen though until Tuesday Feb. 9th when the Hollywood Auditions start, from which 24 Finalists will be announced this year, not 36 like last year.

Up until Feb. 9th, guest judges will appear for each of the auditions, including: Victoria Beckham (Former Spice Girl who will be on tonight’s premiere), Mary J Blige, Joe Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry, Shania Twain, Kristin Chenoweth, and Avril Lavigne.

Auditions will take place in the following cities: Boston (tonight), Atlanta (tomorrow night), Chicago, Orlando, Dallas, LA, and finally Denver. The ‘Road to Hollywood Auditions’ Episode airs Wednesday, Feb 3rd. The show ends ‘early’ this year with a new Idol Winner crowned on Wednesday, March 17th. See the complete Season 9 schedule at http://americanidolnet.com/american-idol-2010-schedule-released/

AI: And The Winner Is ....

2009-05-20T14:51:00.003-04:00

OK……so we had the FINAL 2 perform last night, and tonight….we get our IDOL SEASON 8 WINNER chosen by America on a 2-Hour PLUS Idol Finale, so set those DVR’s for EXTRA time, at least 10 minutes!!! Both Adam and Kris sang 3 songs: One personal choice that they did during the season; One picked by the show’s creator, Simon Fuller, and finally, the so-called Winners Song ‘No Boundaries’ which was co-written by KARA DIOGUARDI.

Here’s my FINAL IDOL thoughts on what went down last night on Fox!

Kris Allen—Thought after Round 1 and his version of ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ that he was actually ahead of Adam song for song. He did a great job with the song! As Kara said, you feel the song when Kris sings it! The 2nd song, chosen by the Simon Fuller, ‘What’s Going On’ by Marvin Gaye, was NOT a good song choice at all for Kris and his performance was weak at best. There just wasn’t much energy to it and he under-performed it. The last song was NOT made for Kris at all, and again, it showed as he struggled to hit the high notes in it and stretch his voice to that level. One could argue that Kris was set up to fail, but the songs are the songs, and the ONLY one they have control over is their personal choice. I thought Kris was solid and competed hard! He was a MUCH better match-up for Adam than Dokey Gokey could ever be on his BEST day! OK….now you know I couldn’t write this without slamming ‘Ol Danny Boy, wouldn’t be right! ;-/

Adam Lambert –Though his personal choice and rendition of ’Mad World’ was very dark and rather haunting, but he did it with such emotion and brilliance, it was better than the first time he performed it during the season! Loved the outfit too, very ‘Twilight’ like and smart of him to wear it and reach out to that audience. Now….I’ll want some additional feedback here from BEST FRIEND PETE in Washington, PA on Sam Cooke’s R+B song, chosen by Simon Fuller, ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’, but I thought this performance, aside from when Adam did ‘Tracks of My Tears’ by Smokey Robinson, may have been his best all season!! This is the song that many will remember, another WOW moment from Adam!!! Incredible rendition!! His last effort on the winners song ‘No Boundaries’ wasn’t stellar, a bit pitchy in spots, but certainly much better than what Kris performed, as Adam was much better suited vocally for the song than Kris was, without a doubt.

NOTE: In RED are those who I originally had predicted for the TOP 12!

AND THE WINNER IS…….………..ADAM LAMBERT!!!!!

Bottom Line: Kris was very worthy competition, and he’s going to be quite relevant and successful in the music industry, but I (and many millions of other Idol viewers!!) will be absolutely SHOCKED tonight if ADAM isn’t announced as the WINNER!!!! Could Kris pull the upset? Anything is possible with it being in America’s hands, but Adam is clearly the better and more deserving contestant to take home the title! He’s just got SUPER STAR QUALITY written all over him!! It will be interesting to watch him evolve in the industry and see if he follows Randy’s advice and stay true as a Rocker! I certainly hope he does!

Fun Eddie Fact: OK…..I voted 10X for Adam last night! I want him to win!! :-0
So what does everyone else think of last night’s show? Who do you think should be the IDOL WINNER? Who’s your pick tonight?

OK….we’ll know the IDOL SEASON 8 WINNER after tonight..…until then…it’s Eddie ‘Little Simon’ Idol…OUT!!

PS--I’ll be back with some bonus ‘After The Finale’ Eddie Idol thoughts tomorrow!

Kim's Two Cents: IDK Eddie, if Adam doesn't win, I'm out like Secrest for next season!!! And I thought Kara's song was crap!! I have nothing against Kris. I like him, in fact, but none of this season's rivals could compare to Adam. He's is a class by himself. He alone, kept me watching .... and I usually don't even start watching until they are down to the final five or six.

And Now A Very Special Message From Ray

2009-05-13T20:17:00.004-04:00

Kim: OK, I couldn't resist posting this. It's a little feedback for our dear, unopinionated Eddie Idol.

Let's hear it for Rockin' Ray, Eddie's AI point-counterpoint cohort!!

Ed,

Admit it. You wrote this whole article on Sunday night, and just left blanks for the song titles. Gokey could jump off the stage perform life saving CPR on a nun, deliver two premature babies in the crowd, discover a cure for AIDS on the way back to the stage, then turn in a performance that would outshine any effort by Elvis, Freddie Mercury and the Beatles combined, and you would still say he sucked (and you’d comment on how lamely his technique was on the CPR).

Meanwhile, Kris Allen could walk on the stage with an Uzi, blow away the same nun and pregnant women, give AIDS to fifteen cheering teeny bobbers on his way back to the stage, flip off the crowd and walk away without singing a note, and you still said it would be better then Gokey.

Now, in my unbiased opinion, none of the six songs last night blew me away. There isn’t a song this year that Kris Allen has sung that made me take notice; not one. He’s not bad… just nothing of interest. Gokey has done a couple of numbers this year that were of interest, some really bad ones, but for the most part, I’m indifferent to him. I guarantee you that neither Allen or Gokey even make the final 3 last year with the two Davids and Syesha.

Adam’s the clear frontrunner, though nothing he did last night was outstanding. He his the owner of the only ‘wow’ moments this year, with 3 or 4 of them, and he’s darn well entertaining each week, and he had better win… but last night was just okay for me from him.

Thanks for sharing Ray -- way to keep our Eddie in line!! Now, let us know what you're thinking .... Adam (squeeeeee!!), Kris or Danny??

As for me, I'm just hoping for a repeat of that delicious white suit Adam sported two weeks ago!!

AI Semi-Finals

2009-05-13T19:53:00.002-04:00

OK……so we had the TOP 3 perform last night, and tonight….we get our FINAL 2 chosen by America to see who will compete next week for the Season 8 Idol title! All contestants sang 2 songs, one picked by the judges and one personal choice. Here’s the skinny on what went down last night on Fox!

Danny Gokey –OK…..the first song, a choice by Paula called ‘Dance Little Sister’, was performed OK, not great….although not the song choice I would have done for him. As Simon and Kara said, the dancing was a bit awkward. His personal choice, Joe Cocker’s ‘You are So Beautiful’, was just awful in my opinion, from the first note right thru to the ending!!! So, I totally disagree with the judges! Just what am I missing with this kid?? I don’t know, but I know one thing, Kris and Adam are way ahead of him in talent, and I don’t feel there’s any way he should be in the FINAL! HE MUST GO HOME TONIGHT!!!

Kris Allen—Thought Randy and Kara’s choice for him with ‘Apologize’ was a good one, but he certainly didn’t need ripped by Biatch Kara after he sang it, and I really thought he did it quite well! His personal choice, ‘Heartless’ was absolutely what Idol should be all about: Originality, Creativity and pure, raw talent! This kid is relevant and could cut an album tomorrow and be very successful! He blew away Gokey with this song, and I believe it put him in THE FINAL! He’ll be BOTTOM 2 and America may screw it all up and send him home tonight….but I’m saying he’s in the THE FINAL with Adam… and it’ll be GOKEY going home!

Adam Lambert –Great song pick from Simon with U2’s ‘One’ ….and Adam absolutely covered it incredibly well!! Best performance of the night, with Kris’s ‘Heartless’ a close second! Although I will say, that his personal choice with Aerosmith’s ‘Cryin’, which I thought was a perfect choice for him, was NOT his best performance, a bit indulgent (love that word!) and was all over the place at times, with just too much of the screaming lyrics in it. But…..this kid deserves to be ‘off’ a bit with a song now and then….and for ADAM, it’s THE FINALS….anything less would be absolutely shocking!!!

One final thought…. I do think what Simon said in critiquing was critical, that we all cannot just assume that Adam will be in the FINAL unless America voted early and often! It may be the case that if people think that Kris or Dokey Gokey needed the votes more, that all the voting was heavier for them, and Adam is on the OUTSIDE looking in tonight! Could it happen? Certainly……but will it happen? I doubt it!! But again, KUDOS to Simon for stating the case as he did to end the night!

NOTE: In RED are those who I originally had predicted for the TOP 12!

Bottom Line: FINAL 2: ADAM vs. KRIS….& GOKEY MUST GO HOME!!!!!! Having a hernia that I need surgery for soon, I can’t scream too wildly and loudly tonight if Gokey stays and makes it to the final, but I’ll be quite nauseous and will increase my intake of alcohol to compensate!

So what does everyone else think of last night’s show? Who do you think should be booted off tonight? Who’s your pick to win it all?

OK….we’ll know the FINAL 2 after tonight..…until then…it’s Eddie ‘Little Simon-NO FINAL FOR DOKEY GOKEY’ Idol…OUT!!

Kim's note: If Adam goes home tonight, I'm not watching next week!!! I luv me my guyliner!! GO GLAMBERT!!!!