By ERIN CARLSON
NEW YORK (May 17) -
Most observers thought she was a lock to go on to the "American Idol " finale, but Melinda Doolittle was eliminated Wednesday night. The result was a real surprise, considering Doolittle - hands down the best singer there - had the blessing of Simon Cowell . Her departure clears the way for a final showdown between Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis.
"Congratulations to you two. My commiserations, Melinda, 'cause you are one heck of a singer," said a glum Cowell, who covered his face with his hands upon hearing the news.
The acerbic judge had always made clear his affection for the 29-year-old backup singer-turned-diva from Brentwood, Tenn., who delivered knockout performances week after week. Doolittle, who never hit a bad note during her "Idol" run, seemed resigned to her fate. She belted "I'm A Woman" before leaving the stage.
It's tough to predict who'll win next week's finale. Sparks, 17, of Glendale, Ariz., rose from the bottom ranks to gain much momentum in later weeks, and few would deny her broad appeal to viewers of all ages. The bubbly beauty has charisma for miles - a true American idol, her fans argue.
But the 25-year-old Lewis, who hails from Bothell, Wash., has tricks up his sleeve. As this year's hippest contender, the stylish beatboxer has wooed fans by taking risks with song arrangements and infusing even stale pop songs with contemporary flair. He had a big "Idol" moment weeks ago when he mixed up Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name" to add fresh beats - a move that secured him a spot in the final four. Even Cowell loved it.
Wednesday's show also featured performances by the band Maroon 5 and former contestant Elliott Yamin, who came in third last year.
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I could not believe that Melinda was sent home. What's up with the voting this year. She was by far the most consistently good singer of the season. I'm so disappointed.
ReplyDeleteAmerican Idol sucks because most of the people in this country dont know amazing talent. Imagine Melinda getting sent home and Blake makes it to the finals. That is the biggest joke of the history of American Idol.
ReplyDeleteSecond only to the joke of Sanjaya making it to the top ten!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'll be watching American Idol again. Why should somebody, like Blake, who makes sound effects rather than sings be in the top two? Melinda was the best singer in the contest.
ReplyDeleteYou know if you look at previous contestant that didn't that came 4th, 3rd, 2nd they end up with bigger deals. Melinda is going to do better than Jordon who I believe going to take it. Take a look at previous contestant. I think the only winner that is doing well is Carey Underwood. Kelly now she wasn't until this year. Look at Chris D he has winner CD. Elliot has a CD coming out July I believe. Melinda you are a winner and will be doing better than the IDOL winner. I am glad she didn't make it to the very end. She deserves more anyway.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to Melinda's solo album. I'll be the first in line to buy it. America-the wrong winner was sent home last night. This seems to be a reocurring theme (Season 5 had the same problem)
ReplyDeleteLook at Chris Daughtry for example. Clay Aiken. AI lanched their careers even though they didn't come in first. No doubt we'll be seeing much more of Melinda.
ReplyDeleteI was never a Carey Underwood fan.
It seems rather then talent alone it is "hip look" that the younger crowd look for. I think that maybe a very shallow consideration. Melinda is JUST GREAT.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't believe the results last night. I had called over and over the night before the phone number to vote for Melinda, only to find the lines constantly busy...even up to the end of the time frame given for voting.
ReplyDeleteI know folks who had no difficulty getting the other contestants lines.
Could there have been a problem with the phone lines? That is the ONLY reason I can see why Melinda would not have made the finals!!!!
Melinda is in a league of her own; she's an amazing singer and her performances improved dramatically throughout the season but she had no genre and therefore no following strong enough to carry her through to the finals. She will succeed with a producer who helps her find her "thing." Blake is the only one of the three who has been consistant in his genre therefore establishing a huge fan base. That's what this competition is all about. Personally, I think Blake should win, and I'm waayyyy older than 14!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to miss Melinda, but she might be better off without the AI crown. She'll have the freedom to do all kinds of music.
ReplyDeleteThe best part of last night was seeing Elliot again. Talk about a change! He had oodles of confidence, not too mention all that curly hair!
Blake, not Melinda, should have gone home. Melinda's professional status was well-hyped throughout the competition(background vocalist) while Blake's was not. I think a lot of people believe that if a professional musician is good enough, they should be "discovered" without the help of a T.V show. This killed Melinda and should have killed Blake. I would have liked to see Lakeisha versus Jordin in the finals. Amateur versus amateur. Melinda was the best of the pros. By the way, the voting was so close that the usually accurate Dialidol.com could not make a prediction.
ReplyDeleteHats off to Melinda the real winner in this competetion!!! What a class act and gracious goodbye from the finals.
ReplyDeleteI, too, will be in line to buy any of her CDs. What a pleasure it has been to see her performances week after week. Doubtful I will ever vote on American Idol, again. I believe I've seen the very best in, also "my girl", Melinda Dolittle.
Wow! I made my comment before I went to work this morning and there was sure a lot of conversation since. I'm glad to see the general consensus is that Melinda was GREAT and shouldn't have been sent home. I also agree that she will definitely "be discovered" from this show and will do well even without the AI crown.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been watching American Idol and I didn't watch the Finnish one either, but I was watching when one of the Finnish Idol winners sang in the Eurovision Song Contest. Leave Me Alone is still playing in my head...
ReplyDeleteIt's true that you don't have to win the competition in order to get career as a singer. I've heard that e.g. one of the recent losers of the Finnish Idol contest has been starting his career as a singer by recording some songs. You don't have to be a winner, but the publicity that comes with the contest certainly helps.