Last night Ellen DeGeneres made her debut as the new judge of American Idol, replacing Paula Abdul. Although Paula will be sorely missed Ellen brings a new feel to the judging with her incredible sense of humor and love for all people.
It was apparent early on that even when she had to tell someone that they just didn’t have what it takes to move forward, she did so with a tactful, humorous style unlike anyone we’ve ever seen judging on this show in any capacity before. She brings a uniqueness and freshness to the show that can only make it even more interesting.
Here’s a recap of last night’s show:
Folks, I need a little help with this first contestant… and please accept my apology Katie. I did not catch your last name and I did not have you in my initial list of contestants for Season 9. Sorry.
Katie’s grandmother has Alzheimer’s disease (as does my Mom, so I can relate) and would very much like to succeed while her grandmother still knows who she is. Katie did make it through to the next round. Good Luck Katie.
Skiiboski (Antonio Wheeler) Sang the Temptations classic “Ain’t too proud to beg” however, he did not make it through.
Andrew Garcia sang his own version of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” and may I say it was FANTASTIC! I loved it and so did the judges. Kara said it was genius and you’d have to look long and hard to find someone to disagree with her. Congratulations Andrew. Needless to say he made it through to the next round.
Vanessa Wolfe did not make it through, but hey Vanessa you gave it a shot. We wish you well. Keep your head up.
Meagan Wright and Amadeo Diricco were also eliminated. Congratulations on getting this far.
Janell Wheeler was very impressive. Ellen said she was amazing. Congratulations Janell. Onward and upward!
Haeley Vaughn played the guitar and although she said how nervous she was before her performance, did a terrific job and moved on to the next round along with Mary Powers, a 28 year old “Rocker” Mom to a beautiful daughter who Simon attempted to lay claim to… just kidding.
Jay Stone, Justin Williams, Erica Rhodes and Maddy Curtis were also eliminated. I was particularly surprised that Justin didn’t make it through. I thought he was excellent. Good luck to you all and if singing is truly your passion, keep going. American Idol is not the only way to succeed in that business… and just like the sports world, there’s always next year.
Lilly Scott was excellent. Kara called her unique, which if you don’t know by now, is one of the things the judges like.
Big Mike (Michael Lynche) did a great job or as Simon put it “Good” (which in reality means great!). Since this was one of the prerecorded shows, hopefully Mike is a happy Father by now. Congratulations to both of the new parents.
Tim Urban sang David Cook’s “Come Back to Me” (and played guitar).
Tim also moved on. Way to go Tim!
Casey James also played guitar and made it through. He was very impressive and played some pretty fancy guitar licks that Randy acknowledged. Go Casey!
Didi Benami also very impressive. She had to be for Simon to say “I really liked that song, terrific.” Congrats Didi.
Crystal Bowersox had her son’s name tattooed on her back for good luck and she had it although she may not have needed it. She sang “Natural Woman” and Simon said she was “infectious” and that people will like her and that will give her a head start. You go girl!
Please let me know what you thought of last night’s show, the contestants that moved on and perhaps you have a message for those who didn’t. Good luck to all of them!
Don’t forget… there’s another show tonight. See ya there!
Technorati Tags: Big Mike, Casey James, Didi Benami, Ellen, Ellen DeGeneres
