Flashback: Nick Pedro's "Fever"

Season 6 featured a host of forgettable guys, especially in the Top 24. But Nick Pedro managed to actually make some noise with his rendition of the overdone "Fever," which has been covered by everyone and their mother. Watch the performance from Top 20 week below:

While the quick cuts to the drummer got a little annoying, Nick's vocals were for the most part on target. As to whether Simon's critiques of his style and charisma were representative of what led to his subsequent elimination the following night, we probably will never know.

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Poll of the week: Melinda does a little to earn recognition among fans

In one of the last few rounds of IDOL LIVE's poll of the week champion series for 2010, one 3rd-place finalist edged out her peers in a fairly close battle.

Melinda Doolittle's 12 votes were enough to earn her 29% of all 41 votes cast, which was the largest take of all nine participants included in this round. The sixth season's second-runner-up saw her closest competition come from Elliott Yamin, who garnered nine votes (21%), followed by Danny Gokey's seven votes (17%).

There were only two finalists who failed to grab any votes during the course of the week, as Nikki McKibbin (Season 1) and Vonzell Solomon (Season 4) went scoreless in their attempts.

In the next round (the third-to-last, by the way), readers will be asked which runner-up is their favorite of all nine seasons. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Nikki McKibbin 0 (0%)
Kimberley Locke 2 (4%)
Jasmine Trias 2 (4%)
Vonzell Solomon 0 (0%)
Elliott Yamin 9 (21%)
Melinda Doolittle 12 (29%)
Syesha Mercado 4 (9%)
Danny Gokey 7 (17%)
Casey James 5 (12%)

Total votes: 41

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Blake Lewis visits Cali AT&T store

Blake Lewis made an appearance at the Topanga Canyon Boulevard AT&T store in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday, where he signed autographs for fans in addition to posing for photos. The appearance, which lasted about two hours, was in support of Blake's a signed limited edition double LP of Heartbreak on Vinyl, his sophomore release.

American Idol Season Six Runner-Up Blake Lewis (left) posing for a picture with a young fan, Abby Charbonneau (right), during an appearance at the Woodland Hills AT&T retail store on Saturday, August 7, 2010. Photo: AT&T handout.

Event attendees had an opportunity to win signed copies of Blake's limited edition double LP “Heartbreak on Vinyl” scheduled to be released on August 24. Additionally, they were able to take advantage of the promotion on the new Android™ 2.1 Powered Samsung Captivate with the super AMOLED screen. Upon purchasing the new Captivate, attendees became eligible to receive two tickets to the upcoming American Idol Concert Tour at the Staples Center, on Fri., August 13.

Late last month Blake gave his two cents on the Idol judging musical chairs, saying:

"It's a sad day to read about Ellen leaving and rumors of Kara now leaving, too. Ellen will be sadly missed on AI. She added humor to the panel. If it’s true that Kara is leaving, too, there will be an even greater hole to fill. Like every great show that recasts its characters, the ones leaving will be missed and hopefully the new members will be embraced. I heard other rumors of J LO and Steven Tyler as potential new judges. I think this is what the show has been needing since I was on - constructive comments from huge stars who have made it doing what the contestants want to do. Britain has already done this and it's worked. I’m interested to see what the new American Idol will have to offer."

To pre-order the special edition of Heartbreak on Vinyl, visit BlakeLewisOfficial.com.

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Crystal Bowersox and Didi Benami show kindness at 'GMA' concert

After my scathing review of Season 9's Top 10 finalists' group medley of "It's My Life" / "My Life Would Suck Without You" on ABC's Good Morning America two Fridays ago based solely on television coverage, Tony Rossi of The Intersection offers up a review of his own since he actually attended the concert in Central Park in person. Per Tony's blog post:

The two I would single out especially are Crystal Bowersox and Didi Benami. Because I have 2 friends who work for GMA, I was lucky enough to get backstage and meet a few of the singers.

He then goes on to give evidence of Crystal's and Didi's kindness:

A young girl accompanied by her grandfather was in a scaffolded area under the stage hoping to talk to and get autographs from Crystal & Didi. Both Crystal and Didi literally had to get on their hands and knees to interact with this young fan and sign her pictures.

This account is great to hear since I was so hard on their singing. I'll reiterate that even though I was disappointed with how the performance came across over the broadcast, this season's finalists seem to be some of the kindest. In fact, I'd go as far to say this season's Top 10 is very similar to Season 6's Top 10 for this reason in addition to a few others regarding their stage presence and vocal abilities.

Also, below is a backstage interview with the Top 10 posted by GMA that I just stumbled upon:



The interview includes footage of Lee and Michael beat boxing in between performances in addition to questions about things we don't know about the finalists.

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Poll of the week: Chikezie is easily favorite 10th-place finalist

There was a little more competition than usual, but Season 7's Chikezie Eze was comfortably the preferred 10th-place finalist of all nine season in the latest round of IDOL LIVE's 2010 edition of the poll of the week champion series.

Chikezie took in nine votes, good for 34% of all votes cast, which was above Didi Benami's six votes (23%) and Michael Sarver's four votes (15%). Neither Chris Sligh (Season 6) nor Julia DeMato (Season 2) received any votes.

In the next round, readers will be asked which 9th-place finalist is their favorite of all nine seasons. Voting will be open for six days.

EJay Day 0 (0%)
Julia DeMato 0 (0%)
Amy Adams 1 (3%)
Jessica Sierra 5 (19%)
Lisa Tucker 1 (3%)
Chris Sligh 0 (0%)
Chikezie 9 (34%)
Michael Sarver 4 (15%)
Didi Benami 6 (23%)

Total votes: 26

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Flashback: LaKisha Jones' "Run to Me"

The Top 4 in Season 6 of Idol was basically the opposite of the Top 4 in Season 9, as LaKisha Jones led a strong contingent of three female vocalists to one unique guy. Over the course of her run on the show, LaKisha delivered many memorable performances, but by the time she reached Top 4 she seemed to lose steam. Watch one of her two performances from Bee Gees night, "Run to Me," below:

This was obviously not one of LaKisha's performing highlights, but she still showed why she was such a contender at the outset of the season. Her elimination, although not as shocking as the elimination of Melinda Doolittle the following week, was still disappointing.

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Out today: Melinda Doolittle's 'Beyond Me'

It's been a while since an Idol alum released a book, so Melinda Doolittle is taking up the task and representing the franchise with her. In her own words:

Beyond Me talks about the behind the scenes of IDOL, but much more than that, it contains life lessons I've learned along the way.

Also out today on iTunes is a revamped recording of Katharine McPhee's next single "Terrified," which features the vocals of Chuck star Zachary Levi in place of Jason Reeves.

Links to purchase the aforementioned can be found below:

Books
Melinda Doolittle, "Beyond Me"

Amazon - ($12.81) - Buy
Barnes & Noble - ($13.67) - Buy
Borders - ($18.99) - Buy
Target - ($14.83) - Buy

Singles
Katharine McPhee, "Terrified (ft. Zachary Levi)"

iTunes - ($0.99) - Buy

An interesting note about Beyond Me is that fellow Season 6 alum Jordin Sparks wrote its foreword.

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Speeding Sanjaya gets slapped with $411 fine in Seattle

Sanjaya hasn't been in the news all that much lately, but he returned to the headlines today after an early morning speeding stop outside Seattle. Per The AP:

The Washington State Patrol says former "American Idol" star Sanjaya Malakar was caught speeding 110 mph on Interstate 405 outside of Seattle at Kirkland.

He was stopped about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday and given a $411 ticket.

Trooper Dan MacDonald told The Seattle Times there was no one else on the freeway at the time so Malakar does not face a reckless endangerment charge

Hmm, $411? That's nothing, especially for a singing superstar like Sanjaya. Maybe this will earn him a guest performer slot on Idol this season?

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Flashback: Brandon Rogers' "You Can't Hurry Love"

It was exactly three seasons ago that Brandon Rogers performed his first (and last) song in the finals of Idol's sixth season. His take on Diana Ross's "You Can't Hurry Love" was unfortunately his weakest showing on the show, and it came back to bite him. Watch the performance below:

The judges were hardly forgiving of Brandon's forgotten lyrics or his sharp notes, as Simon said "complete letdown." Oh well, at least Brandon got to work with Diana Ross out of his time on the show.

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Flashback: Alaina Alexander's "Not Ready to Make Nice"

Alaina Alexander was one of the promising female vocalists in the early rounds of Idol's sixth season, but something happened to her during the semifinals that caused her to falter in a big way. After a less than exceptional showing during Top 24 week, Alaina struggled through the Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice" in Top 20 week. Re-watch the performance below:

This pitchy performance is ultimately what lost Alaina her shot at making it far in the competition, but she probably never had a great shot out outlasting some of the more powerful vocalists in her season like Jordin Sparks and Melinda Doolittle.

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Flashback: Sundance Head's "Ride Sally"

There were high hopes for Jason "Sundance" Head during Idol's sixth season, as his father was Roy Head, a singer who had a hit in 1965 with "Treat Her Right." During Top 20 week, Sundance took on Wilson Pickett's "Ride Sally." Watch the performance below:

The overwhelmingly positive comments he garnered from the judges were enough to let him coast through to Top 16 week, where he was sent packing. Still, Sundance will be able to tell his son of the experience of a lifetime he had while on the show.

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Flashback: Leslie Hunt's "Feeling Good"

Idol's sixth season was not known so much for its talent during the semifinals, but a few contestants managed to prove they were worthy of their spots in the competition. While Leslie Hunt did her best to stand out from the crowd, it seemed her decision to scat at the end of her "Feeling Good" performance during Top 16 week might have been a bit of a mistake. Watch the performance below:

Although her vocals weren't amazing on the song, they weren't horrible, either, so the sloppily tacked-on scatting session might have turned some fans off. Ironically, Leslie's fellow semifinalist AJ Tabaldo was also eliminated on the same night following his take on the Nina Simone classic. Leslie's example will forever be a reminder to contestants to "scat wisely."

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Flashback: Antonella Barba's "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing"

Antonella Barba was one of the most talked about semifinalists in Idol's history during the show's sixth season before famously being eliminated during Top 16 week, but it was not for her performances on the stage. After being lambasted in the media for racy photos that leaked on the internet, Antonella's singing abilities were overshadowed by calls for her expulsion from the show. Now almost three years since the controversy, watch her performance of Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" on the show making sure to focus just on her vocals below:

Antonella might not have been the strongest vocalist on her season, but she did put up a valiant effort in the face of a nationally publicized airing of dirty laundry. Still, these things happen when relatively unknowns are launched into the spotlight overnight.

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Poll of the week: "Idols Live!" 2008 is fave

In results that could be seen only as an overwhelming sense of nostalgia for Season 7, voters in IDOL LIVE's poll of the week chose that season's "Idols Live!" tour as their favorite.

It was nothing short of a slaughter in last week's poll, with 243 votes going to the tour for the season of the Davids in 2008. That's a ridiculous 94% total take of the 256 votes cast in all. None of the other tours got so much as an honorable mention.

In this week's edition of the poll of the week, readers are asked which lead-off single of Carrie Underwood's is their favorite. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Season 1 (2002) 1 (0%)
Season 2 (2003) 1 (0%)
Season 3 (2004) 1 (0%)
Season 4 (2005) 2 (0%)
Season 5 (2006) 3 (1%)
Season 6 (2007) 2 (0%)
Season 7 (2008) 243 (94%)
Season 8 (2009) 3 (1%)

Total votes: 256

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Flashback: Blake Lewis' "When the Stars Go Blue"

While on the sixth season of Idol, runner-up Blake Lewis doled out a lot of memorable performances thanks to his unique beat boxing skills. When it came to his take on Ryan Adams' "When the Stars Go Blue" for the country-themed Top 7 week, however, things were not so memorable. Watch the performance below:

This performance showed that when Blake did not go out on a limb by rearranging songs that would normally not fit his vocal style, his "regular singing voice" just did not measure up to his placing on the show. Still, the fact that he was able to bounce back from these performances demonstrates that he had a strong affinity for his fans.

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Flashback: Jordin Sparks' "I (Who Have Nothing)"

Season 6 may not be considered to be a season that created a ton of memorable performances, but one indisputable performance was Jordin Sparks version of Shirley Bassey's "I (Who Have Nothing)" on "British Invasion" night for Top 11 week. Reacquaint yourself with the exhibition below:

This performance, although it occurred early in the season, is what made people take Jordin seriously as a contender for the crown. The interesting thing about it is the fact that the song seemed like it would feel too dated and would not fit someone who was only 17 years-old. But Jordin not only made it sound current, she sounded mature enough to be singing it.

It will always be known as Jordin's greatest performance on the show, as well as one of the highlights of the entire season.

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Flashback: Gina Glocksen's "I'll Stand By You"

Gina Glocksen, the resident rocker chick of Season 6, had a few performances featuring heavy guitars and intense vocals, but her softer side was exhibited more often than not throughout the season until her departure Top 9 week. The most memorable of these performances came the week before she bowed out, when she tackled The Pretenders' classic "I'll Stand By You" for the "No Doubt/Artists who inspire Gwen Stefani" theme. Watch the performance below:

Gina's vocals were stunning, which set it apart from her previous showings, yet she was able to maintain her distinct look. The whole package did not come off as poser-ish, which Gina ran the risk of having happen.

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Flashback: Chris Richardon's "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying"

Chris Richardson may have been compared to Justin Timberlake constantly while on the sixth season of Idol, but he definitely didn't sound like him. On Top 11 night, Chris chose to perform "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" by Gerry & The Pacemakers. Watch the performance below:

Chris did not impress the judges (and apparently the American public), as he ended up in the bottom two the next night. Simon even remarked that he had never heard the song before, which caught many be surprise considering the song was written by fellow Brit Gerry Marsden and the fact that Simon is, well, a big time British music mogul.

Regardless, Chris was able to propel himself out of the bottom rungs of the competition and mad it all the way to fifth place on the season. Even though it was not his best effort, "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" served as a pivotal moment on Chris' Idol journey because it showed a softer side of him.

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Flashback: Haley Scarnato's "Tell Him"

Over the course of her stay on Idol's sixth season, Haley Scarnato was never really able to excite the judges with her singing abilities. She was, however, able to raise a few eyebrows in addition to generating a few positive comments when she kicked off "British Invasion" night on Top 11 week. Relive the moment below:

This night marked the beginning of the "leg fascination" that swept the nation, which stayed with (or haunted) Haley until she left the show during "Latin" night on Top 8 week. Although she could never live the legs thing down, Haley's display here was one of the most memorable moments of the season.

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