Tedius Zanarukando's Blog

#49 Anwar Robinson

2012-01-30T23:47:00.000-05:00

Next on my American Idol countdown is number 49 finalist Anwar Robinson. He landed in 7th place on American Idol season 4. He is the first finalist to sing "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly during the American Idol live shows, and that song would later by sung during the live shows by Katharine McPhee in season 5, Aaron Kelly in season 9, and Jacob Lusk in season 10.

After his time on American Idol, he went on to tour with the Top 10 contestants of season four and sang for over 500,000 people in over 40 cities in the United States and Canada. He also participated in "Idols In Concert" at the newly built Rrazz Room at San Francisco's Hotel Nikko.

Robinson took on the role of "Collins" in the 2007-2008 national/international tour of Rent.

Robinson made his film debut in The Ski Trip 2: Friends and Lovers as "Owen." His debut album, Everything, was released on January 25, 2011

Robinson was involved in charity work beginning March 2, 2010, joining Michelle Williams, Musiq Soulchild, Lil' Mo, Tye Tribbett, Nikki Ross & Anaysha Figueroa (both of Kirk Franklin), Nancey Jackson-Johnson, and James Hall under the executive production of Kim Burrell to record "Prayer Song" for Hope for Haiti, composed by Krishnar Lewis. In October 2010, he participated with Yolanda Adams in Plainfield, New Jersey, event where community leaders were trying to break the Guiness World Records for the largest gospel chorus in the world.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is none other than the most successful American Idol contestant ever, with over 21 million album sales and 25 million singles sales worldwide, who ranked number 1 on The Los Angeles Times top 120 power rankings list of May 31, 2010. She would later become the runner-up to Kurt Nilsen from Norway in the television special World Idol in 2003. One reason why I rank her this low is possibly because some of her songs like "Mr. Know It All" contain misandristic lyrics.

#50 LaKisha Jones

2012-01-30T23:41:00.000-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 50 American Idol finalist LaKisha Jones. She landed in 4th place on American Idol season 6, being eliminated just before Melinda Doolittle.

LaKisha Ann Jones was born on January 13, 1980, at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Michigan, to a teacher at the Flint Foundation Academy. She was raised by her grandmother, Ruth Jefferson Morris. An only child, Jones is a Baptist who began singing at the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church at the age of five. She was formally trained in classical music, although her favorite music genre is gospel music. Jones always dreamed of becoming a singer.

Jones was homeschooled in Flint and then attended Flint Central High School (now Flint Central Commencement Academy), where, in one of her earliest performances, she appeared in a play called Lead Poisoning. While in high school, Jones performed with one of the groups in the choral department: the Madrigal Singers. While in high school, Jones performed with one of the groups in the choral department: the Madrigal Singers. Jones graduated in 1998 and attended the University of Michigan-Flint, studying music. During college, she performed in the play Godspell. Jones stated in her Idol interview that Flint, Michigan was her home. She was a single mother with a five year old daughter who encouraged her to audition for American Idol season 6.

Jones relocated to Houston, Texas, and resided there for six years. In 2006, she relocated to Forte Meade, Maryland, in order to be closer to her cousins and other relatives. At that time, Jones obtained a job as a bank teller at Provident Bank in Millersville, Maryland, which she resigned when she moved to Hollywood to compete in American Idol season 6.

#51 Kimberley Locke

2012-01-30T23:33:00.002-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 51 American Idol finalist Kimberley Locke. She landed in 3rd place on American Idol season 2. She appeared in the FOX network version of the game show Don't Forget the Lyrics!. She garnered media attention for her participation in Celebrity Fit Club.

Kimberley Dawn Locke was born to Donald and Christine Locke on January 3, 1978, in Hartsville, Tennessee. She grew up with one older brother named Ashley in Gallatin, Tennessee. At the age of five, she began to sing in church. Her parents divorced when she was eight years old.

Like American Idol season 6 finalist Melinda Doolittle, Locke is an alumna of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

#52 Pia Toscano

2012-01-30T23:28:00.000-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 52 American Idol finalist Pia Toscano. She landed in 9th place on American Idol season 9. She was an early frontrunner in the competition. Her elimination came as a shock to the judges and the studio audience, all of whom were visibly and vocally upset. Some viewers and media outlets described Toscano's elimination as one of the most shocking eliminations in American Idol history. Her elimination was not shocking to me.

Pia Ann Rose Toscano was born of Italian heritage to Jane and Pat Toscano on October 14, 1988. She hails from Howard Beach, New York. Her father worked as a corporate executive. She began performing in talent shows when she was four, and by the age of nine, she had performed in a local church theatrical production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Toscano was the official U.S. National Anthem singer at her middle school, P.S./M.S. 207, and performed at every event including graduation. She graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (founded by Fiorello H. LaGuardia in 1936) in New York City in 2006. Fellow American Idol season 10 finalist Karen Rodriguez also attended this high school.

Toscano performed the U.S. National Anthem and "God Bless America" for the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets’ minor league team, several times a year for three years. In addition, Toscano was the winner of the New York Mets annual "Anthem Search" competition in 2008 and was selected to sing the National Anthem at a July 2008 game. Toscano was also the opening act for the band Barenaked Ladies and performed with Josh Groban at Madison Square Garden.

Before her time on American Idol, Toscano worked as a makeup artist and as a wedding singer in a band known as "Current Affair." Her musical influences are Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Etta James (who died recently), and Luther Vandross (who died in 2005).

Toscano auditioned for American Idol four times before. She previously auditioned for American Idol season 6 and advanced to Hollywood, but her journey ended there. In 2010, she auditioned for American Idol season 10 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with the song "Until You Come Back to Me" by Stevie Wonder and advanced to the Hollywood Round, this time advancing to the live shows.

#53 Brandon Rogers

2012-01-29T22:04:00.000-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 53 American Idol finalist Brandon Rogers. He worked as a professional backup vocalist and landed in 12th place on American Idol season 6.

Rogers graduated from John Muir High School in 1996 and from University of North Texas in 1999. He performed in the UNT Jazz Singers, the centerpiece ensemble of the university's vocal jazz studies program. His classmates included Grammy-winning blues and country singer Norah Jones and singer songwriter David Angerstein. Rogers' mother is a published songwriter.

His first big break was part of a group brought together through a radio boy band competition in Dallas, Texas, in 2000. The Kidd Kraddick in the Morning show on 106.1 "KISS-FM", callsigned KHKS, put together an audition originally as a joke to see if they could really construct a boy band. However, they ended up with five talented singers which they named Sons of Harmony. Mexican pop singer Marcos Hernandez was also a member of this band. When the band broke up, Brandon relocated to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a music career.

As a professional backup vocalist, Rogers performed backup on Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera's 2003 Justified and Stripped Tour and Anastacia's 2005 Encore Tour. Rogers has also worked as a vocal coach and wedding singer.

Rogers auditioned for American Idol season 6 in Los Angeles, where the judges (including guest judge Olivia Newton-John) were impressed with his vocals. Judge Simon Cowell later mentioned was the best who auditioned from Los Angeles. He got through the subsequent Hollywood, cut-down, and semi-final rounds to make the Top 12 finals round. However, in his initial performance he forgot the words to several bars of the Diana Ross "You Can't Hurry Love" Diana Ross, which was covered by Phil Collins in 1982, and was the first finalist eliminated from the show on March 14, 2007, landing in 12th place. He missed out on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2007 along with 11th placer Stephanie Edwards. On May 12, 2008 Rogers guest starred on the crime drama Bones on FOX. He would appear as a recurring character on a web-oriented series "Valley Peaks". Authentik Artists releaseed his new single, "Broken".

In June 2008 Brandon starred as one of the headliners for a live music show in Branson, MO, named "America's Favorite Finalists". The show featured 6 top 12 American Idol Finalists performing their own music, cover songs and group numbers. The show ran at the Grand Palace and was produced by Steve Drummond, America's Favorite Finalists.

#54 Jasmine Trias

2012-01-29T21:52:00.003-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 54 American Idol finalist, Filipino-American girl Jasmine Trias. Due in part to tremendous call-in support from California, New York, and her native state of Hawaii, she made her way into 3rd place on American Idol season 3. Along with Camile Velasco, she is among the first two people of Filipino descent to ever advance to the American Idol finals. Another Filipino girl Thia Megia would later follow their footsteps in season 10.

Trias was born in Honolulu, Hawaii of Filipino heritage and raised in Miliani Town, Hawaii. She is a daughter of Filipino immigrants to the state of Hawaii from Tanza, Cavite. She attended Maryknoll School, a Roman Catholic preparatory school of the Diocese of Honolulu, which is officially in Latin Dioecesis Honoluluensis, established on January 25, 1941, and is an ecclesiastical territory or particular church of the Catholic Church in the United States and comprises the entire state of Hawaii and the unincorporated Hawaiian Islands. As a representative of Maryknoll School, a private coed Catholic school educating children in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade and founded in 1927 and located on the island of O'ahu, she won the Brown Bags to Stardom 2001 state singing competition and the Road to Fame 2003 youth talent competition. Trias graduated from Maryknoll School in June 2004.

Trias rose to fame by auditioning for American Idol season 3. She auditioned in her home state of Hawaii. Trias made it to the top twelve performers and eventually finished in third place.

#55 Stephanie Edwards

2012-01-29T21:43:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 55 American Idol finalist Stephanie Edwards. She landed in 11th place on American Idol season 6. She hails from Savannah, Georgia, and first began singing around the age of two or three. After graduating from Windsor Forest High School, which was founded in 1967 and is a member of Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools district, Edwards pursued vocal instruction for a month and then went on to appear at the Apollo Theatre in New York City when she competed in Showtime at the Apollo, which originally ran from September 12, 1987 to May 24, 2008 with 1093 episodes. Before her stint on American Idol, she had won most singing contests she had entered, including Savannah Star in 2005.

Edwards auditioned for American Idol season 6 in Memphis, Tennessee. She is the only one of the top 12 contestants on American Idol not presented in the TV tryouts preceding the naming of the top 24 semi-finalists. During the initial broadcast for the Top 24, Edwards was praised for her rendition of "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore" by Prince. For her top 20 week performance, she attempted "Dangerously in Love" by Beyoncé Knowles, to which Randy Jackson exclaimed that she "sang her face off," although he felt her performance was too much like the original. The following week, Edwards pulled off another winning performance with the song "Sweet Thing" by Chaka Khan.
According to the judges, she was "darn near flawless and had a good command of the stage."

On March 8, 2007, Edwards became one of the top 12 finalists. For the first theme week, she performed "Hangover" by Diana Ross. Edwards forgot her words at one point during the song. The judges bashed her arrangement of the song, saying that she teased them with the good part and then never delivered. Despite the criticism, Edwards claimed a spot in the top 11. She was eliminated from the show on March 21, 2007. She missed out on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2007 along with Brandon Rogers.

#56 Chris Daughtry

2012-01-29T21:31:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 56 American Idol finalist Chris Daughtry. He fronts the rock band called Daughtry. He landed in 4th place on American Idol season 5. After he was eliminated on May 10, 1996, he was signed to RCA Records and formed the rock band called Daughtry. The band's self-titled debut album became the fastest selling debut rock album in history, selling more than one million copies after just five weeks of release. The album was recorded before the band was officially formed, making Chris Daughtry the only official member present on the album. This led some to believe mistakenly that the band Daughtry is Chris Daughtry's solo project.

Christopher Adam "Chris" Daughtry was born to Pete and Sandra Daughtry on December 26, 1979, in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina and raised in Lasker, North Carolina until the age of 14. His parents live in Palmyra, Virginia, where Daughtry grew up until he relocated to McLeansville, North Carolina, near Greensboro, North Carolina. His brother Kenneth resides in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

At the age of 16, Daughtry started taking singing seriously as a musician. He took guitar lessons from blues rock guitarist Matt Jagger at Stacy's Music store in Charlottesville, Virginia, and sought advice from Andy Waldeck (frontman for Earth to Andy, which was founded in 1997 by members of two local bands) who is credited first on his debut album. He performed with rock bands during his time in high school at local venues, opening for his future band mate Brian Craddock's band My Dog Lucy and Matt Jagger. During high school, he appeared in two stage productions: The Wiz and Peter Pan. His first official performance was singing "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus, father of Miley Cyrus, at his grandfather's bar. Daughtry graduated from Fluvanna High School in 1998.

#57 Andrew Garcia

2012-01-29T21:23:00.001-05:00

Next on American Idol finalist countdown is another season 9 finalist, my number 57 American Idol finalist Andrew Garcia. He got 9th place in a double elimination with Katie Stevens. I think Jermaine Sellers should have made the top 12 instead of him. Garcia hails from Moreno Valley, California.

Garcia was born to Mexican parents. He also has an older brother. Garcia's fiancée, Christine Concepcion, is a popular YouTube singer. Garcia has a son, Caeland, with her. Garcia has a tattoo of his son's name on the right side of his neck, a tattoo of an "A" on his wrist, a rose on his front left arm, and a pair of Christine's lips in red on the left side of his neck.

Garcia auditioned for American Idol season 9 in Pasadena, California. He sung "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5, which he would later perform on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2010. He was praised by all three judges, especially Simon Cowell, who called him a "genuinely good singer," as well as guest judge Katy Perry. He later appeared in Hollywood, where he sang "Straight Up" by former American Idol judge Paula Abdul, and since has been particularly known for that performance.

#58 Casey James

2012-01-29T21:18:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 58 American Idol finalist, guitarist and ladies' man Casey James. He got 3rd place on American Idol season 9.

Casey Everett James was born on May 31, 1982, in Plano, Texas, and raised in Cool, Texas. He had a bad reaction to the petussis vaccine when he was an infant, and his family feared brain damage. According to his mother Debra "Bybee" James, however, she realized that he would be all right and was going to be musical when he started humming before he talked. James started playing the guitar at the age of 13 and within a year he was playing on stage. James has played acoustic sets with his mother and blues with his older brother, Billy Cole. He has also played with country and rock bands.

Before American Idol, he played with his band, The Casey James Band, consisting of James on lead guitar and vocals, his brother, Bills Cole on bass, and Jacy McCann on drums. They recorded four songs, including the first song that James ever wrote, "Freezing," back in 2002.

James cites blues guitarist Doyle Bramhall II as a major musical influence and whom he would most like to perform with in his Idol Q&A. Another major influence is Stevie Ray Vaughn; James named Vaughn's 1992 album In the Beginning as a formative album in his childhood. Other influences cited in the article are southern rockers Lynyrd Skynard and Pearl Jam.

#59 Allison Iraheta

2012-01-29T21:12:00.002-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 59 American Idol finalist Allison Iraheta. She got 4th place on American Idol season 8 and is the last girl standing of that season. Before her stint on American Idol, she won the Telemundo competition show called Quinceañera: Mamá Quiero Ser Artista, which was produced and broadcast in 2007 and 2008. Following the conclusion of American Idol season 8, Iraheta was signed to 19 Recordings, Ltd. and the now defunct Jive Records. Her debut album Just Like You was released on December 1, 2009. I believe that she should have made the top 2 with Adam Lambert instead of her season's winner Kris Allen.

Iraheta was born in Glendale, California, to Salvadoran immigrants who relocated to the United States before she was born. She is the youngest of three, with two older siblings Jacki and Carlos Iraheta. According to her family, she has been singing since she was a toddler, as has my number one American Idol finalist, who is also the youngest in the family. In 2001, she began taking voice lessons with Raphael Enriquez at the Los Angeles Music and Art School, a non-profit community school of the arts in East Los Angeles. Before rising to prominence, she frequently performed at the local Latin Electronics Store La Curaçao and the Los Angeles Music and Art School's annual benefit concert, Stars for the Arts. Iraheta attended Los Angeles' Animo Ralph Bunche Charter High School at the time of her stint on American Idol.

In 2007, Iraheta won the short-lived the reality television competition program Quinceañera: Mamá Quiero Ser Artista (which means "Sweet Fifteen: Mom, I Want to be an Artist"), which was produced and broadcasted in 2006-2007 on Telemundo, where she sang both in English and Spanish.

On the show, a group of teenage girls such as Olivia Bonilla, Brissia Mayagolita, and others of Latino origin competed in a singing competition for the main prize of $50,000 and a recording contract. Iraheta was the first (and only) winner of the competition and received the grand prize, but due to legal problems of the show the recording contract was never finalized and the show was canceled.

#60 Katie Stevens

2012-01-22T21:05:00.004-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Katie Stevens. She landed in eighth place in a double elimination with ninth placer Andrew Garcia. Her favorite artists are Jason Mraz and Whitney Houston. Her musical influences include Taylor Swift and her own brother Ryan Stevens. She can play the guitar, piano, cello, and flute, but she did not get a chance to play them on American Idol during her time in the competition.

Katherine "Katie" Marie Stevens was born to Mark Stevens and Clara Francisco on December 8, 1992, in Southbury, Connecticut. She was raised in Middlebury, Connecticut. Her Portuguese grandmother Rita Francisco has Alzheimer's disease. Stevens speaks English and Portuguese. She graduated from Pomperaug High School in Southbury, Connecticut, in June 2010. She came in second place in the 2009 Miss Connecticut's Outstanding Teen Pageant and named the 2009 Westbury Outstanding Teen at the Greater Watertown Scholarship Pageant. Stevens was instrumental in the creation of the Evan Gagnon Memorial Scholarship Fund, which gives college scholarships to the seniors of Pomperaug High School. Evan Gagnon, who died in January 2009 at the age of two, was the son of Stevens' Spanish teacher. Stevens has also been a member of Pomperaug's High School Varsity Swim Team all four years.

Stevens first performed for an audience at the age of five, when she performed the U.S. national anthem at a party for a politician in her hometown. At the age of seven, she performed "From This Moment On" by Shania Twain at her aunt's wedding. Since she was young, Stevens has been active in her local theater community. She played the role of Dorothy in both BSS Children's Theater and Main Street Theater's Wizard of OZ. At Main Street Theater Stevens also played the role of Sharpay in High School Musical and "The Cat" in Honk. She played Nellie Forbush in Pomperaug High School's South Pacific alongside Gary Dwyer as Emile DeBeque. In addition, Stevens performed at Carnegie Hall at the age of 13.

#61 Brooke White

2012-01-22T20:56:00.000-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown, which ends by February 28, 2012, is Brooke White. She landed in fifth place on American Idol season 7. She released her debut album Songs from the Attic in 2005 under the record label New Millennium Records Group. Her first post-Idol album is High Hopes & Heartbreak released in 2009 under the record label June Baby Records. Her first single "Hold Up My Heart" was released on February 25, 2009, and the song debuted at number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Brooke Elizabeth White was born to Brad and Kaylene White on June 2, 1983, in Phoenix, Arizona. She grew up with three younger siblings: Kaylee, Tyler, and Quinn. She is of English descent. She also has family members in Nova Scotia, Canada, and she is a Mormon.

White started singing at the age of 16, when she auditioned for the high school musical, Meet Me in St. Louis, a 1989 broadway production based on the 1944 of the same name, and earned the lead role. White graduated from Heritage Academy High School in 2001. She, at one time, attended beauty school, and described herself as a "beauty school dropout", and shared on American Idol that she started doing hair at the age of 11. White moved to Los Angeles, California when she was 19 years old, where she attended the Musicians Institute for three months and then spent the next four years honing her craft as a singer-songwriter recording in the studio and performing in the clubs of Hollywood, California under the guidance of Tim Simms. White also spent a year as a nanny for twin baby girls. During her elimination video on American Idol, White stated "It's probably not a secret that I struggled with my own confidence but I'm stronger than I thought I was and that's a great thing to get out of this." White currently resides in Van Nuys, California, with her husband. On December 16, 2011, she announced on her blog that she is pregnant with a baby girl due to be born in May 2012.

White auditioned for American Idol season 7 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she sang "Like a Star" by Corinne Bailey Rae and received positive reviews from all of the judges. During the Hollywood Round, she performed "Beautiful" by Carole King, and accompanied herself on piano. After that performance, judges commented that White reminded them of a young Carole King. During top 24 week, White performed "Happy Together" by The Turtles, a Los Angeles based rock band fronted by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman and known for its cover version of "It Ain't Me Babe" by Bob Dylan. During top 20 week, she accompanied herself on the guitar for her performance of "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon and stared at Simon Cowell during the performance. During top 16 week, she performed "Love Is a Battlefield" by Pat Benatar, and she advanced to the finals.

#62 Crystal Bowersox

2012-01-15T23:31:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 62 American Idol finalist Crystal Bowersox. She is the runner-up of American Idol season 9. She appeared on a commercial with blues legend B.B. King. Her debut album, Farmer's Daughter, was published on December 14, 2010, on the now defunct Jive Records label. Like Elliott Yamin, she has type-1 diabetes.

Crystal Lynn Bowersox was born alongside her twin brother Carl on August 4, 1985, in Elliston, Ohio. She attended Oak Harbor High School in Oak Harbor, Ohio, and later attended Toledo School for the Arts in Toledo, Ohio. Bowersox performed her first professional gig at the age of 10. She appeared at local bars in Toledo, most popularly Papa's Tavern, and The Village Idiot in Maumee, Ohio. At the age of 17, she relocated to Chicago, Illinois. looking for opportunity. She most commonly played as a busker at several train stations, including the Washington and Lake Redline stops. She frequented open mics, such as the Uncommon Ground Clark and Grace, and Devon locations. She also played extensively in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. In 2006, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs chose Bowersox to represent Chicago folk musicians in the Sister Cities program "Experience Chicago", held in Birmingham, England. In 2007, Bowersox traveled internationally on an independent small cafe tour, including Memphis, Tennessee; Oaxaca, Mexico; and Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey.

Bowersox auditioned for American Idol season 9 in Chicago, Illinois. She performed "Piece of My Heart" by Erma Franklin. Guest judge Shania Twain commented that she had a "raw, natural talent", as Simon Cowell commented on my number 1 American Idol finalist back in season 8. During the first Hollywood Round, Bowersox performed "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin. During the second Hollywood Round, which is Group Round, her group performed "Get Ready" by The Temptations. During the third Hollywood Round, she performed "If It Makes You Happy" by Sheryl Crow. During top 24 week, she performed "Hand in My Pocket" by Alanis Morissette, who would perform with Josh Krajcik during the X Factor season 1 final week. On March 2, 2010, during top 20 week, Bowersox was hospitalized because of complications from diabetes, forcing a last minute switch in scheduling to give her extra time to recuperate. The male contestants competed that day instead of the female contestants. The next day, she performed "Long as I Can See the Light" by Credence Clearwater Revival and impressed all of the judges. Bowersox confirmed the illness on the May 19, 2010 results show during an interview with host Ryan Seacrest. The following week, her strong performance of "Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman prompted Simon Cowell to state, "Right now, you are the one everyone has to beat."

During top 12 week, Bowersox performed "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones. During top 11 week, she performed "Me and Bobby McGee" by Roger Miller. During top 10 week, she performed "Midnight Train to Georgia", which was originally recorded by Cissy Houston and made popular by Gladys Knight & the Pips. During top 9A week, she performed "Come Together", which was originally recorded by The Beatles and later covered by the late Michael Jackson. During top 9B week, she performed "Saved" by LaVern Baker. During top 7 week, she performed "People Get Ready" by The Impressions. During top 6 week, she performed "No One Needs to Know" by Shania Twain. After Siobhan Magnus got eliminated that week, Bowersox became the last girl standing in the competition. During top 5 week, Bowersox performed "Summer Wind", which was originally recorded by Frank Newton and made popular by Frank Sinatra. During top 4 week, she performed "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová from the 2006 Irish musical film Once as a duet with Lee DeWyze and then performed "I'm Alright" by Kenny Loggins from the 1980 American comedy film Candyshack solo. During top 3 week, she performed "Come to My Window" by Melissa Etheridge as chosen by herself and "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney as chosen by the judges.

Bowersox is the first female contestant to make it to the finale since Jordin Sparks won the American Idol crown in 2007. She is also the first contestant in American Idol history to have one of their original songs played on the show, or at least during their hometown package. During finale week, she did an encore of her top 11 performance and then performed "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles as chosen by Simon Fuller, and finally her first single "Up to the Mountain", which was originally recorded by Solomon Burke. During her time on American Idol, Bowersox dated Tony Kusian, but the couple broke up just hours before the finale of American Idol season 9. On the final performance day, in Simon Cowell's final critique on American Idol, he called her performance of "Up to the Mountain" "outstanding" and by far, "the best performance and song of the night".

On May 26, Bowersox was named the runner-up to winner Lee DeWyze, the least successful winner in American Idol history. She recently announced that after her time on American Idol, she wants to bring more diabetes awareness.

#63 Constantine Maroulis

2011-12-30T23:55:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 63 American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis. He landed in sixth place on American Idol season 4. He is the oldest American Idol finalist ever. He last appeared on American Idol season 10, during Pia Toscano's elimination night. He is the lead vocalist of the hard rock band Pray for the Soul of Betty. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for his role in Rock of Ages. He was born to Greek-American parents James Constantine and Constance P. Maroulis on September 17, 1975, in Brooklyn, New York. He was raised in the Greek Orthodox church, and he can also speak Greek.

#64 Chris Richardson

2011-12-30T23:23:00.000-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Chris Richardson. He landed in fifth place on American Idol season 6. He plays guitar, percussion, and piano. His favorite male artists are Jason Mraz, JT, James Brown, and Michael Jackson. His favorite female artists are Mariah Carey (mainly early 1990s) and Christina Aguilera.

Christopher Michael "Chris" Richardson was born to Phyllis and Danny Richardson on February 19, 1984, in Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe Hospital in Soignies, Belgium, a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian Province of Hainaut. His father Danny Richardson served in the United States Air Force for 20 years. Richardson relocated to Chesapeake, Virginia, in 1999. He admitted during the March 6, 2007, episode of American Idol that he was once overweight during his childhood and teenage years. He has lost roughly forty pounds and has become more health conscious, and it has been reported that he was always motivating his fellow American Idol contestants to work out and care about their health and appearance.

Richardson graduated from Great Bridge High School in 2002 and studied music composition at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, for a year, and playing football there. He continued to study music compositon at Tidewater Community College, a two-year college in South Hampton Roads with campuses in Cheasapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach and serving approximately 46,000 students and known locally by its abbreviation, TCC. Before his stint on American Idol, he worked as a kitchen supervisor for a Hooters restaurant.

During his elimination night, Richardson stated that his best friend on the show is his season's runner-up Blake Lewis.

Richardson originally auditioned for American Idol season 4 and then season 5 before being cast on season 6. He auditioned for season 6 in New York City, holding number 8963 and singing "A Song for You", which was originally recorded by Leon Russell and made popular by Donny Hathaway. The judges warmed to him, and he got through the audition process. Richardson was grouped with Paul Kim and former American Juniors contestant AJ Tabaldo, who also auditioned for American Idol season 10, in the Hollywood group round. During American Idol, Chris received many comparisons to Justin Timberlake, including from judge Randy Jackson. But, he adds, those who've drawn the connection should listen to his album when it comes out and then decide if it still holds. "To be even mentioned in the same sentence as someone so successful, it's great," Richardson told the Associated Press on Thursday the day after his elimination in a phone interview. "They might be surprised whenever I come out with my album, that it's completely different than his. So that's when other people might one day be, like `Hey, you sort of sound like Chris Richardson.'"

#65 Nadia Turner

2011-12-30T21:46:00.002-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is African-American rocker Nadia Turner. She landed in 8th place on American Idol season 4. She was born on January 11, 1977. She hails from Miami, Florida, and began to sing at the age of 5. She won her first trophy at age eleven in the Betetees Sorority talent show. She won her first pageant at age fifteen singing in the Miss Martin Luther King, Jr. pageant. She continued to compete in many other talent driven pageants in the U.S. and the Caribbean. She attended art-driven schools in Miami from elementary throughout college at Florida International University, which was founded in 1965 and currently run by Mark B. Rosenburg. In the year 2000, she performed at the 26th G8 summit to President Clinton and seven other heads of state in Okinawa, Japan.

Turner auditioned for American Idol season 4 in San Francisco, California, with the song "Until You Come Back to Me" by Aretha Franklin. She advanced to Hollywood and then to the live shows. On top 24 week, she performed "The Power of Love" by Ashley Cleveland. On top 16 week, she performed "My Love" by Paul McCartney. On top 16 week, she performed "Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding, and made the top 12. On top 12 week, she performed "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" by Dusty Springfield. On top 11 week, she performed "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper. She was in the bottom 3 with Anthony Federov being cleared first and my number 79 American Idol (or 79th favorite) finalist Mikalah Gordon being eliminated to 11th place. On top 10 week, Turner performed "I'm The Only One" by Melissa Etheridge, and she was in the bottom 3 with Anwar Robinson making it through and my number 76 American Idol finalist Jessica Sierra being eliminated to 10th place. On top 9 week, Turner performed "As Long As He Needs Me" by Oliver!. On top 8 week, she performed "When I Dream" by Crystal Gayle, and was eliminated finishing in 8th place. She was in the bottom 3 with my number 95 finalist Bo Bice and my number 66 Scott Savol.

#66 Scott Savol

2011-12-28T23:55:00.004-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Scott Savol from American Idol. He got 5th place on American Idol season 4. He is the most controversial finalist of season 4. He has a rap sheet citing domestic violence.

Scott Thomas Savol was born on April 30, 1976, in Cleveland, Ohio, but was raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He now resides in Nashville, Tennessee, where he records music. Savol has a son named Brandon. He has been married to Rochelle since June 8, 2006.

During his stint on American Idol, The Smoking Gun reported that Savol had previously got an allegation of misdemeanor assault for for hitting his girlfriend Michele Martin, who is mother of his son, with a telephone on February 14, 2001 so hard that the phone broke. Savol pled the charge down to disorderly conduct for which he received probation, and was ordered to complete a domestic abuse or anger management class; his girlfriend levied a temporary restraining order against him. American Idol producers responded that Savol had already disclosed this incident to them and that "considering Scott's honesty and his remorse, the situation did not warrant his disqualification", as would Corey Clark on American Idol season 2.

The fact that Savol outlasted many singers who were often considered superior to him (like Nikko Smith [my second favorite of season 4], Nadia Turner, Constantine Maroulis, Jessica Sierra, and Anwar Robinson), led many commentators to speculate that a portion of Savol's "fan base" actually consisted of people who were attempting to destroy the credibility of American Idol by voting for someone they considered the worst finalist. That organization is called Vote for the Worst (VFTW).Other people suggested Savol was supported by Christian voters because Savol frequently thanked God after his performances, or by voters who saw him as an underdog or "regular Joe" due to his lack of stereotypical pop star looks. Often, he would draw comparisons to actors Mark Addy and Kevin James.

#67 Lee DeWyze

2011-12-28T23:44:00.004-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is season 9 winner Lee DeWyze. He is the least successful winner in American Idol history. Before his stint on American Idol, he had a solo career and formed the Lee DeWyze Band. He had also released two independent albums called So I'm Told in 2007 and Slumberland in 2010, both released on WuLi Records. His post-Idol album Live It Up, was released on November 16, 2010, through 19 Entertainment and RCA Records.

Leon James "Lee" DeWyze, Jr. was born on April 2, 1986, in Mount Prospect, Illinois, to Kathleen (née Donahue) and Leon "Lee" DeWyze, Sr., who worked as a postal carrier in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

#68 Kristy Lee Cook

2011-12-28T23:39:00.003-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is mediocre country crooner Kristy Lee Cook. She got 7th place on American Idol season 7. I believe that Alexandréa Lushington should have made the top 12 in her place. She was the first season 7 contestant to release a post-Idol album, called Why Wait, released on September 16, 2008. She was born to Larry and Carlene Cook on January 18, 1984, in Seattle, Washington.

Cook auditioned for American Idol season 7 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. with the song "Amazing Grace." All three judges liked her voice and sent her straight through to Hollywood. While in Hollywood, her first song did not impress the judges. For her second and final chance, she sang "Amazing Grace" again; she was then selected as one of the top 24 contestants in the semi-finals.

#69 Taylor Hicks

2011-12-28T23:35:00.002-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is season 5 winner Taylor Hicks. He is the oldest American Idol winner ever. He was born to Bradley Hicks and Pamela Dickinson on October 7, 1976, in Birmingham, Alabama. His hair started turning gray at the age of 14. He and his family had relocated to suburban Hoover, Alabama, when he was eight years old. His parents divorced, and stepmother Linda shared custody of their son until he reached the age of majority. While in college, Hicks was part of a band called Passing Through, which he later quit to start his own band.

Hicks auditioned for American Idol season 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He advanced to the Hollywood Round with the approval of Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, but not Simon Cowell, who said that Hicks would never make it to the final round. On Hicks' first performance for the voting public, Cowell called back to this quote, admitting he was wrong.

#70 Aaron Kelly

2011-12-28T23:30:00.003-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Aaron Kelly. He got 5th place on American Idol season 9. Before his stint on American Idol, he was a finalist on America's Most Talented Kid at the age of 11. He was born on April 2, 1993, in Davenport, Florida. Due to the difficult circumstances with his biological parents, he was adopted at the age of 5 by his aunt and uncle, relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, and later to Soneston, Pennsylvania. He has sung professionally since the age of 9, performing at festivals and fairs and opening for acts like Charlie Daniels, Loretta Lynn, Emerson Drive, Bill Anderson, and The Marshall Tucker Band.

Kelly lists his hobbies as soccer and photography and his musical influences as Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, and Celine Dion.

Kelly participated in the American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly known as Disney-MGM studios) at The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. At the end of the day he was the highest vote recipient in the finale show, which entitled him to receive the dream ticket, which got him to the front of the line for the real American Idol auditions in Orlando in June 2009. Kelly is the third contestant from Pennsylvania, and until American Idol season 10 (with Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, and Thia Megia), he was the youngest contestant to make it through to the Top 12 on American Idol, while semifinalist Haeley Vaughn is currently the youngest ever to be selected for the semifinal rounds. Kelly is also one of two contestants from Pennsylvania to be selected for the Top 24 in season 9 of American Idol.

#71 Lindsey Cardinale

2011-12-28T23:23:00.000-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is country singer Lindsey Cardinale. She got 12th place on American Idol season 4.

Lindsey Michelle Cardinale was born to Agnes and Anthony Cardinale on February 5, 1985, in Hammond, Louisiana.

Cardinale auditioned for American Idol season 4 in New Orleans, Louisiana, with the song "Standing Right Next to Me" by Karla Bornoff.

#72 Kimberly Caldwell

2011-12-24T23:59:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is another American Idol season 2 finalist Kimberly Caldwell. She is David Cook's ex-fiancée. She landed in seventh place on American Idol season 2.

#73 Carmen Rasmusen

2011-12-24T23:58:00.002-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 73 American Idol finalist Carmen Rasmusen. She claimed sixth place on American Idol season 2. She is also a pianist and guitarist. She was born on March 25, 1985, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, of Norwegian heritage, and she is a Mormon. The second of four children, Rasmusen has been performing in public since the age of five: singing, dancing (including cheerleading, tap, ballet and hip-hop dance), and playing the piano.

#74 Leah LaBelle

2011-12-24T23:12:00.002-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Leah LaBelle. She took twelfth place and was the first Wild Card finalist to get the first boot in the finals. Two Black female finalists also walked in her shoes in the even numbered seasons of the WGWG era. LaBelle was born on September 8, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, of Bulgarian heritage. She hails from Seattle, Washington. She auditioned for American Idol season 3 in New York City with the song "I Believe in You and Me" by Whitney Houston, which would later be sung by her fellow season 3 finalist Jennifer Hudson in the Wild Card round. She performed "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" by Diana Ross in the Hollywood Round. She was chosen by Paula Abdul as a finalist after performing "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green. After singing "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by The Supremes, she became the first Wild Card to be in the first week of the final round. She was in the bottom 3 with my number 117 American Idol finalist Amy Adams, who landed in tenth place, and my season 3 favorite Jennifer Hudson, who landed in seventh place.

#75 Kellie Pickler

2011-12-24T23:12:00.000-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown, which ends by the time American Idol season 11's live shows begin, is country star Kellie Pickler. She came to fame when she took sixth place on American Idol season 5. Right after her stint on American Idol, she was signed to 19 Recordings Ltd. and BNA Records, releasing her debut album Small Town Girl, which has sold over 800,000 copies to date, later in 2006. The album was RIAA certified gold and produced three singles on the Billboard Hot Country chart: "Red High Heels" at #15, "I Wonder" at #14, and "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind" at #16. She released her self-titled sophomore album in 2008 and has produced the singles "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" at #21, "Best Days of Your Life" at #9 (which she co-wrote with country po superstar Taylor Swift), "Didn't You Know How Much I Love You" at #14, and "Makin' Me Fall in Love Again" at #30. On May 30, 2010, she was ranked the number 7 American Idol alumna.

Kellie Dawn Pickler was born on June 28, 1986, at Stanly Memorial Hospital in Albemarle, North Carolina, a small town near Charlotte, to Cynthia Morton and Clyde "Bo" Raymond Pickler, Jr. Her mother left when Kellie was two years old. She returned and got custody for two years, but the court returned Kellie to her grandparents when she was 12, as her father was in and out of jail during her childhood. Therefore, Kellie was raised by her grandparents. She cites the major influences in her life as her paternal grandfather, a former electrician Clyde Raymond Pickler, Sr., and her paternal grandmother Faye Pickler. She was raised in her birthtown. She has a half brother named Eric, a half sister, Courtney, and a half brother, Michael, whom she has never met. After her grandmother died of lung cancer in January 2002, she continued to reside with her grandfather and her younger sibling Eric until her stint on American Idol. Pickler graduated in 2004 from North Stanly High School in North London, North Carolina. During her time at the high school, she was a cheerleader and beauty queen. She performed "On the Side of Angels" by LeAnn Rimes during her high school graduation ceremony.

Before her stint on American Idol, Pickler worked as a waitress at a Sonic Drive-In restaurant and in 2005, she appeared on WSOC-TV's Gimme the Mike! Charlotte contest and landed in second place. She participated in the Miss America circuit and won the "Miss Stanly County" pageant at age 17 and subsequently competed for Miss North America in 2004. She dropped out of the pageant and focused on paralegal studies.

At the age of 19, Pickler auditioned for American Idol season 5 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

#76 Jessica Sierra

2011-12-08T22:26:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Jessica Sierra. She got tenth place on American Idol season 4. She released her first single Enough in October 2010 from her recently released debut album Rebound.

Before her stint on American Idol, Sierra was a contestant on Star Search, which ran from 1983 to 1995 and in 2003 and 2004. She originally auditioned for American Idol season 2, but she was rejected.

Sierra auditioned for American Idol season 4 in Orlando, Florida, with the song "At Last" by Etta James. On top 24 week, she performed "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" by Phil Collins. On top 20 week, she performed "A Broken Wing" by Martina McBride. On top 16 week, she performed "(Boys Are) Back in Town" by The Busboys. On top 12 week, she performed "Shop Around" by The Miracles. She was in the bottom 3 with Mikalah Gordon and Lindsey Cardinale, who got eliminated that week, but I prefer Cardinale over Sierra and Gordon. On top 11 week, Sierra performed "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler. On top 10 week, after performing "On the Side of Angels" she was eliminated on March 30, 2005, surprising some fans since Simon Cowell had previously stated that she was one of the strongest female vocalists in the competition.

#77 Danny Gokey

2011-12-08T22:02:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol countdown is my number 77 American Idol finalist Danny Gokey. He got third place on American Idol season 8. Allison Iraheta should have made the top 3 instead of him. He wife Sophia Gokey, who was a fan of the show, died before his time on American Idol. After his time on the show, he was signed to 19 Recordings and RCA Records Nashville as the beginning of his career as a country singer, releasing his first single "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me." His debut album, My Best Days, was released in March 2010.

Gokey started singing with his family in church, but stated he would rather record mainstream music than perform solely contemporary Christian music. He was the worship director at his church Faith Builders International Ministries, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, one of the venues where American Idol season 10 auditions were held. Danny got his first take as a recording artist with his demo-tape being professionally recorded at Beach Club Records run by his friend, Rich Clemons, in Racine, Wisconsin.

He is the penultimate of six children. He has a brother, Charles, and four sisters. He has acknowledged the influence of Jeffrey and Robin Pruitt the pastors of the church he worked at and also Matthew Barnett the founder of the LA Dream Center. He has stated that his faith is the "key to who I am." Gokey then spent two years on the open road as a freight driver.

On July 9, 2008, our weeks before he auditioned for American Idol season 8, Gokey's wife Sophia underwent routine surgery for congenital heart disease. It was her third surgery, but she died from complications. The couple had been together for twelve years, and Gokey credited her for his success. Sophia was a fan of American Idol and encouraged Gokey to be a contestant, and Danny established a foundation in her name Sophia's Heart Foundation with some of her family members who are also into the music industry. The foundation exists to help mend and heal the hearts of children and families who have been touched by poverty, sickness, disease, broken homes and broken dreams.

Gokey rose to national fame with his participation in the eighth season of American Idol. On August 8, 2008, he auditioned in Kansas City, Missouri, along with his friend Jamar Rogers, who is also from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Both made it through to Hollywood, but Rogers was eliminated from the competition prior to the semifinals. Rogers decided not to audition for American Idol season 9. Gokey's American Idol audition occurred only four weeks after his wife's death in July 2008.

#78 Gina Glocksen

2011-11-30T23:06:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Gina Glocksen. She got ninth place in a tearful elimination on American Idol season 6. She participated in a spring break tour with Chikezie and two others during the time of American Idol season 8.

Glocksen was born on July 4, 1984. She hails from Tinley Park, Illinois, a southwest suburb in Chicago, Illinois. She attended Virgil I. Grissom Jr Middle School and Victor J. Andrew High School. Glocksen has been singing since the age of seven, and she had classical music training in high school, where she learned to play the piano and flute. She originally auditioned for American Idol season 5, but her journey ended in the third Hollywood Round. Before her stint on American Idol season 6, she worked as a dental assistant in Worth, Illinois, and performed with the cover band called Catfight.

On American Idol season 6, Glocksen got a second chance auditioning in Memphis, Tennessee, with the song "Black Velvet", written by Canadian musicians David Tyson and Christopher Ward, and originally recorded by Canadian recording artist Alannah Myles in 1988, and she once again made it to Hollywood. During the second Hollywood, she performed the song "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes, together with Perla Meneses, Jessica Gordon, and Marisa Rhodes. In the third Hollywood Round, she performed "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman" by Bryan Adams.

Glocksen finally made it through to the top 24. On top 24 week, she performed "All By Myself" by Eric Carmen. On top 20 week, she performed by "Alone" by i-TEN. On top 16 week, she performed "Call Me When You're Sober' by Evanescence, then she made it through to the finals. On top 12 week, she performed "Love Child" by Diana Ross. On top 11 week, she performed "Paint It, Black" by The Rolling Stones. On top 10 week, she performed "I'll Stand By You" by The Pretenders. On top 9 week, after performing "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin, her stint on American Idol ended in tears on April 4, 2007, landing in ninth place. She was in the bottom 3 with Phil Stacey and Haley Scarnato, who was eliminated one week after her. Like Chris Sligh and Stephanie Edwards, who were eliminated before her, she was never in the bottom 3 prior to her elimination.

Glocksen married science teacher/musician Joe Ruzicka on New Year's Eve 2008. Her season's winner Jordin Sparks was one of her bridesmaids. The couple resides in Naperville, Illinois.

#79 Mikalah Gordon

2011-11-28T23:18:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 79 American Idol finalist Mikalah Gordon. She got eleventh place on American Idol season 4. Her favorite male recording artist is Michael Jackson. Her favorite recording female artist is Alicia Keys.

Mikalah Analise Gordon was born to Rocky Gordon (who is Italian and Jewish) and Victora Cavaricci (who is Italian-American) on January 14, 1988, in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was raised in a Catholic household and attended St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic School from third to eighth grade. During her childhood, Gordon regularly performed on stage with her father, a jazz musician who mentored his daughter, attempting to improve her versatility. Before her stint on American Idol, she was with the Helen Joy Young Entertainers, performed at the White House and worked at an oxygen bar.

Gordon auditioned for American Idol season 4 in her birth town Las Vegas, Nevada, with "Lullaby of Broadway" by Ella Fitzgerald and "Killing Me Softly with His Song", which was originally recorded by Lori Lieberman and later covered by Roberta Flack, then Luther Vandross, and then Lauryn Hill. During the Hollywood Rounds, she performed "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" by Dusty Springfield.

During top 24 week, Gordon performed "Young Hearts Run Free" by Candi Staton. During top 20 week, she performed "God Bless the Child" by Billie Holiday. During top 16 week, she performed "Somewhere" by the cast of West Side Story. During top 12 week, she performed "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield. She was in the bottom 3 with Jessica Sierra and Lindsey Cardinale who got eliminated that week. She was eliminated from American Idol on top 11 week, which was Billboard #1s week. This was also the week when the show mixed up the voting numbers for three of the Top 11 contestants Anwar Robinson, Jessica Sierra, and Gordon herself. Her last performance on American Idol season 4 was a rendition of "Love Will Lead You Back" by Taylor Dayne. That song also got Karen Rodriguez booted on American Idol season 10.

#80 Carly Smithson

2011-11-26T19:10:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 80 American Idol finalist Carly Smithson. She got sixth place on American Idol season 6. She hails from Dublin, Ireland. She was born Carly Sarah Hennessy. Before her stint on American Idol, she released her debut album called Ultimate High for MCA Records, but she was dropped from the label in 2002. She is a member of the gothic metal band called We Are the Fallen. Her father lives in the United States while her mother lives in Ireland. She resided in San Diego, California, at the time of her stint on American Idol. Her music genre is pop rock. Her musical influences are Heart, Celine, Skynyrd, Ray Charles, Whitney, Rolling Stones, U2, Janis, Johnny Cash, and Annie Lennox.

Smithson was born to Marie Murray and Luke Hennessy on September 12, 1983, in Dublin, Ireland. After residing Dublin for six months, Smithson and her parents relocated to Johannesburg, South Africa. They lived there for three and a half years, and then they returned to Dublin. Smithson has an older half-brother named Nik, and a younger sister named Shannon. She began singing around the age of four and has also had some experience with acting. She was featured in advertisements for Denny's Sausage for four years, starting at the age of five. Two years later, in 1992, she joined the cast of Les Misérables and starred as Little Cosette in Ireland. At the age of 10, she released an independent CD titled Carly's Christmas Album which was released in Great Britain. At the age of 14, she witnessed her parents' divorce. A year later, she and her father Luke Hennessy relocated to the United States in order for her to pursue a career in the music industry. She dropped out of high school and moved out of her father's home.

Before the marriage to her husband Todd Smithson, Smithson (as Carly Hennessy) released an album for MCA Records called Ultimate High in 2001. Despite having MCA Records spent over US$2 million on the production and promotion of Smithson's debut album, it sold only 300 copies in its first three months. Smithson said that the album did not have a chance to attract an audience, due to the record company's merger with a parent company. Though some established artists like Sheryl Crow survived the merger, yet-to-be-released artists, including Smithson, fell victim to the merger. In the album, Smithson covered "Just Missed the Train" which was originally recorded by Danielle Brisebois for her 1994 debut album Arrive All over You and later covered by Kelly Clarkson on her 2003 debut album Thankful. After American Idol season 7, copies of Ultimate High appeared on shelves of Borders Bookstores and Virgin Records stores. The album and the music video for "I'm Gonna Blow Your Mind" are also available as a download on iTunes. Briefly after Smithson's elimination from American Idol, Top 10 of Amazon's Top Selling Digital Albums, as well as being featured on the MP3 homepage.

After her time with MCA Records, Smithson's music career went on hiatus. She met her husband Todd Smithson, a tattoo artist, in San Diego, California. They resided in Marietta, Georgia, for a few years, where Smithson worked at an Irish bar called Fado. Coincidentally, Smithson saw fellow American Idol season 7 finalist Michael Johns performing weekly at Fado under his real name Michael Lee. In 2005, Smithson and her husband relocated to San Diego, where they currently reside. Smithson also works at Nothing Sacred, a tattoo shop in San Diego owned by her husband. Smithson has nine tattoos. During her time on American Idol, reports claimed that her unfinished sleeve tattoo on her right arm seemed to be a drawing of British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, who was two days Smithson's junior and died on July 23, 2011. However, in her exit interview, Smithson clarified that it is a drawing of a geisha, based on a painting that she owns.

Smithson originally auditioned for American Idol season 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the judges unanimously advanced her to the Hollywood Round. However, she was disqualified because her paperwork for her work visa came too late.

Two years later, Smithson auditioned for American Idol season 7, but this time with the proper paperwork. The judges once again unanimously advanced her to the Hollywood Round, after singing "I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan. Simon Cowell remembered her season 5 audition. In the Hollywood Round, she sang "Alone" by Heart for her audition and once again received a unanimous praise from the judges and then she sang "When I Need You", which originally recorded by Leo Sayer and later covered by Luther Vandross for his 1998 album I Know. Smithson was one of the first foreign contestants to make the show's Top 12 with the other one being Michael Johns who hails from Australia.

After it was announced that Smithson claimed a seat on American Idol season 7's top 24, articles appeared in the mainstream press questioning her selection because of her previous record deal. Randy Jackson also worked for MCA during the same time that Smithson was signed. Despite this, she still remained on the show. After her elimination, Smithson briefly acknowledged the situation in interviews. In her exit interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, she stated that she felt that she was "kind of singled out" and she added that "The media kind of does what they do and I got a lot of weird and negative press very early on but, you know, I just kind of held my head high and it kind of got forgotten about as the show went on." She adds "You know, a lot of the people had professional careers that were involved and I actually hadn't really had lots of stage experience and a lot of the other people had and I think that's more of the experience that you really need on that show." Smithson's elimination came as a surprise to American Idol viewers as she was considered one of the frontrunners on the show. This prompted an unprecedented reaction, with bloggers questioning American Idol's credibility amidst reports from fans of busy signals throughout the voting period. One writer for Entertainment Weekly called the show "America's Embarrassing Lapses In Judgement", saying "Carly Smithson was sent packing, despite a rendition of "Jesus Christ Superstar" that Jesus himself would have been hard-pressed to top". There were renewed claims of "fixing" and calls for the show to publish precise voting totals, resulting in a press release credited to Fox and show producers: "The network and producers will not disclose voting tallies for the competition, as the release of such information would only serve to create additional rumor and speculation", conflicting with executive producer Ken Warwick's claim that they were open to scrutiny, quoted "No one is saying you can't look at them."

During top 24 week, Smithson performed "The Shadow of Your Smile" by Tony Bennett. During top 20 week, she performed "Crazy on You" by Heart. During top 16 week, she performed "I Drove All Night" by Cyndi Lauper. During top 12 week, she performed "Come Together" by The Beatles, which was later covered by the late Michael Jackson. During top 11 week, she performed "Blackbird" by The Beatles, and she was in the bottom 3, but she was saved from elimination before Kristy Lee Cook, and it was Amanda Overmyer who was eliminated that week. During top 10 week, Smithson performed "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler. During top 9 week, she performed "Here You Come Again" by Dolly Parton. During top 8 week, she performed "The Show Must Go On" by Queen. She was in the bottom 3 with Michael Johns and Syesha Mercado. When announcing the results, Ryan Seacrest simultaneously announced that Smithson and Mercado were safe, and that Johns would be eliminated. During top 7 week, she performed "Without You" which was originally recorded by the British rock group Badfinger and later covered by Mariah Carey on her third album Music Box. After her performance of "Superstar" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar on top 6 week, Smithson was eliminated from American Idol on April 23, 2008, landing in sixth place. The day before she was eliminated Cowell stated, "I thought that was the best performance of the night so far.", prompting Smithson to pull out a T-shirt saying "Simon Loves Me (this week)". After it was announced that she was eliminated, Cowell said: "I apologize for giving you a compliment last night—kiss of death, but let me tell you, Carly, you can leave with your head held high."

After her stint on American Idol, Smithson appeared on talk shows, including Live with Regis and Kelly, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Access Hollywood, the Today show, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She participated in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2008 along with the rest of season 7's top 10. On the tour, she performed "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence, "Crazy on You" by Heart, and "I Drove All Night" by Cyndi Lauper. Smithson appeared on American Idol season 8 as a mentor to contestants taking part in Boot Camp Training during "Hollywood Week". This footage ended on the cutting room floor. Later, during the February 18, 2009 live semifinals results show, Smithson and fellow American Idolseason 7 contestant Michael Johns performed "The Letter", a song they had also performed for the American Idol in season 7. She also appeared in the season 8 Grand Finale, where she served as a correspondent covering the events of the celebration in San Diego, California, the hometown of American Idol iseason 8 runner-up Adam Lambert.

Two of Smithson's own original songs, called "Lie With Me" and "Let Me Fall", have been recorded and are also in a Los Angeles Times Interview video of Carly recording songs for her album. In the interview, Smithson reveals that pop rock is her music genre, but does not want to go too hard rock or too pop. Smithson was putting the finishing touches on her post-Idol album when it was announced on June 18, 2009, that she would be joining forces with Evanescence co-founder Ben Moody forming a new band called We Are the Fallen, presumably named after Evanescence's debut album Fallen. The solo album Smithson had been recording was reportedly scrapped. On October 28, 2009, it was announced that We Are the Fallen, including Smithson, was signed to Universal Republic Records. The band has finished recording their debut album and it was released on May 11, 2010.

#81 Jason Castro

2011-11-22T23:20:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 81 American Idol finalist Jason Castro. He got fourth place on American Idol season 7. He performed at the wedding of Jason Mesnick from the reality television show called The Bachelor. He was 20 years old at the time of American Idol season 7. After his stint on American Idol, he was signed to Atlantic Records and his self-titled debut album was released on April 13, 2010. He also sang in three languages on American Idol: English, French, and Spanish. I think Chikezie Eze should have made the top 9 instead of him.

Jason René Castro was born to René and Betsy Castro on March 25, 1987. He was born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Rowlett, Texas. His parents were originally from Colombia. He is the first person in his family to be born in the United States, followed by younger siblings Michael and Jackeline (Jackie), both of whom are singer-songwriters as well. His brother Michael auditioned for American Idol seasons 8 and 9, but was cut in the third Hollywood Round in season 8 and in the first Hollywood Round in season 9. Jason Castro's native language is Spanish. Though he normal speaks English, he has considered recording a Spanish album.Their father, René, is an architectural swimming pool designer and singer-songwriter.

Castro attended Rowlett High School where he was a left winger on his school's soccer team and an honor student. He received a 1340 out of 1600 on his SAT. At the time of his stint on American Idol, he was a junior studying Construction Science at Texas A&M University in College Station on a full academic scholorship.

Castro auditioned for American Idol season 7 in Dallas, Texas, with the song "Crazy" by Ray LaMontagne. Due to legal restrictions on his song choices, he received no air time until the live shows. During top 24 week, he performed "Daydream" by The Lovin' Spoonful. During top 20 week, he performed "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" by Andy Gibb. During top 16 week, he performed "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen. His rendition of the song led to a surge of popularity for the Jeff Buckley cover from the iTunes Store, propelling it to the number-one spot on the iTunes singles chart. Buckley's version of the song sold 178,000 digital downloads in the week following Castro's performance, to debut at number one on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart. According to the March 22, 2008 issue of Billboard, this was the highest boost in digital sales a song had ever received after being performed by a contestant on American Idol. It was the first time Buckley's version of the song charted on a Billboard chart, as well as the first U.S. number-one song on any chart for Buckley, who died May 29, 1997 at age 30. Jason Castro’s rendition of the song propelled Jeff Buckley’s version to be certified gold and platinum as a single on April 22, 2008. Castro's rendition of the song remained on the number-one spot on the iTunes chart, but it was removed because the American Idol producers did not want any contestant to be favored.

During top 12 week, Castro performed "If I Fell" by The Beatles. During top 11 week, he performed "Michelle" by The Beatles. During top 10 week, he performed "Fragile" by Sting. During top 9 week, he performed "Travelin' Thru" by Dolly Parton. During top 8 week, he played an instrument while performing "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland after learning to play it in less than a week. Castro has also bumped the sales of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's "Over the Rainbow" to #6 on the iTunes Top 20. Castro is the only American Idol finalist ever to bump another artist’s single to the iTunes Top 10 or to the Billboard chart. During top 7 week, he performed "I Don't Wanna Cry" by Mariah Carey. During top 6 week, he performed "Memory" by Elaine Paige. During top 5 week, he performed "Forever in Blue Jeans" and "September Morn" both by Neil Diamond. During top 4 week, he performed "I Shot the Sheriff" by Bob Marley and "Mr. Tambourine Man" by Bob Dylan. After those performed, he was eliminated from American Idol on May 7, 2008, ending up in fourth place. He was in the bottom once prior to his elimination, and that was on top 10, where he was in bottom 3 with Syesha Mercado and Chikezie Eze who got eliminated that week.

After his stint on American Idol, Castro appeared on the NBC program Live with Regis and Kelly, the NBC program The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Fuse program The Sauce, the NBC program The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the NBC program Access Hollywood, the NBC program Today, Best Day Ever, the CNN program Larry King Live, the syndicated program The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet as well as dozens of FOX television affiliates and numerous radio stations across the country. Castro has been the subject of articles in newspapers and magazines including People magazine, Star Magazine, US, OK! magazine, USA Today newspaper, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Billboard.

Castro returned to the Idol stage for the season finale, and was the only top 12 finalist who performed a solo. He sang an encore of "Hallelujah."

Upon returning to his hometown of Rockwall, TX, Thursday, May 29, 2008 was declared "Jason Castro Day". Castro was honored with a parade and a ceremony/concert. He was presented with a key to the city by the mayor of Rockwall and a US flag that flew over the nation's capital by Texas congressman Ralph Hall, who assumed office on January 3, 1981. Castro also performed 4 songs for the crowd, including an original song that he had written. The parade and concert was estimated to have attracted close to 15,000 fans and was the largest event in the city's history.

Castro participated in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2008 where he performed "Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley, and "Daydream" by The Lovin' Spoonful. He recorded "Hallelujah" in Toronto, Canada, for the Mexican-Colombian indie film, Amar a Morir, which premiered in the spring of 2009. On November 3, Castro shot a homemade video of himself performing the song "Sweet Medicine", an original song he had written and put the video up on his YouTube account. However, it is unknown if this song will be released on his upcoming album. He recently took part with the "I Am Second" campaign and openly discussed his Christian faith.

Castro signed a management deal with Hard8Mgt, a firm that manages other musicians such as Jakob Dylan, Dashboard Confessional, Augustana, and others.

Castro released his self-titled debut album on April 12, 2010, on Atlantic Records. He worked with songwriter, producer and former American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, who judged American Idol seasons 8 and 9, and producer John Fields. On the album he also worked with DioGuardi, Guy Chambers, Martin Terefe, Dave Lichens (a member of The Heavy Steadies), Jason Reeves, Sacha Skarbek, and Espionage. Fellow Atlantic Records recording artist Serena Ryder appears with Castro on a duet titled "You Can Always Come Home", which Castro debuted at the Texas State Fair in a live performance, his sister Jackie singing in Ryder's place.

Castro performed "Over the Rainbow" and his second single "That's What I'm Here For" at the wedding ceremony of The Bachelor stars Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney on February 27, 2010 for ABC's broadcast The Bachelor: Jason and Molly’s Wedding. He performed in an episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, which aired in July 2010. The Texas based singer-songwriter confirmed his Christian faith in his new release called "Who I Am". Five of the tracks are favorites from Jason's debut record, while the others are original songs exploring life, love, and God. The first single, “You Are”, is one song that Jason calls his "first love song to God." Castro also appeared in a testimonial video on "I Am Second" , in which he shares his story of his faith in Jesus Christ.

A large audition was held during the fall of 2009 in Hollywood, California for Castro's band. The band played their first live show together on September 25, 2009 when they headlined the opening night of the Texas State Fair. His band members are as follows: Stephen Kanicka, Jordan Critz, Ben Davis, and Jason Dering.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 80 American Idol finalist. Like Castro, she is also a season 7 finalist. She hails from Dublin, Ireland. Before her stint on American Idol, she released her debut album under MCA Records, but she was dropped from the label in 2002. Her parents divorced when she was 14. She moved to the United States with her father in order to pursue a music career. She is a high school dropout.

#82 Amanda Overmyer

2011-11-20T17:51:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 82 American Idol finalist Amanda Overmyer. She got eleventh place on American Idol season 7. Her music genre is hard rock. She is vocally compared to Janis Joplin. She is signed to Chile Records. She has been associated with the bands Steeleto and Ruinaces. She was ranked at number 93 by The Los Angeles Times on their American Idol power rankings list on May 31, 2010. Her musical influences are Bob Seger, Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Guns 'n' Roses.

Amanda Lindsay Overmyer was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, the capital of Arkansas, on October 26, 1984; her father was serving in the United States Air Force and was stationed there. Overmyer and her family eventually relocated back to Indiana, where she was raised in Camden, Indiana, and attended Delphi Community High School, which serves about 520 students and has the colors black and gold and the mascot Oracle, in Delphi, Indiana. She received a nursing degree from Ivy Tech Community College. Before her stint on American Idol, she worked as a health-care specialist dealing predominantly in respiratory issues.

Some of Overmyer's favorite past gigs were the ones sponsored by ABATE of Indiana. Through this association and its biker members, Overmyer enjoyed another passion, which is Harley Davidson motorcycles. Her immediate family all enjoy motorcycles as well. Overmyer is married to Casey Taylor, her longtime boyfriend from Mulberry, Indiana.

Overmyer always dreamt of a music career, as she competed in 4-H sponsored talent contests at an early age and later in WAZY Idol in Lafayette, Indiana. . In her late teens, Overmyer joined a local band. Since then she has been the lead singer of several bands, including Steeleto and Ruinaces.

Although Overmyer already had a successful career as a nurse, she also was curious to see if she could become a professional musician, and audtioning for American Idol gave her the best chance to test the waters without risk.

Overmyer auditioned for American Idol season 7 in Atlanta, Georgia, with the songs "Turtle Blues" by Big Brother and the Holding Company and "Travelin' Band" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. The American Idol judges (Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul) have often compared her sound to Janis Joplin. During the first Hollywood Round, she performed "Light My Fire" by The Doors. During the second Hollywood Round, she performed "Piece of My Heart" by Erma Franklin. She was backed by Vote for the Worst, more so for her personality. During top 24 week, she performed "Baby, Please Don't Go" by Big Joe Williams. During top 20 week, she performed "Carry On Wayward Son" by the American rock band called Kansas. During top 16 week, she performed "I Hate Myself for Loving You" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. During top 12 week, she performed "You Can't Do That" by The Beatles. After performing "Back in the U.S.S.R." by The Beatles during top 11 week, Overmyer was eliminated from American Idol, putting her in eleventh place, thus missing out on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2008 along with David Hernandez. Carly Smithson mentioned in her exit interviews that Overmyer was her best friend on the show. As of 2011, Overmyer is the only contestant from Indiana to be an American Idol finalist.

After her stint on American Idol, Overmyer appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, and The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet. She has also been performing professionally ever since her stint on American Idol.

On May 24, 2008 Overmyer headlined the Women of Rock show at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. She debuted four original songs, "Play On", "Fail to Compromise", "Fight Like A Son", and "Love Me Like You Want."

Overmyer performed at the Harley Davidson Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on August 27, 28, and 29, 2008. She also performed at a homecoming gig in Lafayette, Indiana, on September 19, where she debuted new music from her album. On December 10, 2008, Overmyer released her debut album "Solidify". "Play On" was the debut single from the album and is dedicated to her husband. The album is available for digital download on her website, as well as iTunes, Amazon, Tradebit, Napster and Rhapsody. The album was produced by Los Angeles-based producer Rocco Guarino.

The album is also now in most stores in the United States; some states may not have the album yet, but are expected to. To date her biggest show was in her hometown of Lafayette, Indiana, during the time of the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009, where nearly 14,000 fans of hers came out and watched her perform with her band. In 2009, her band went through a lineup change, and Overmyer auditioned a session guitarist from Purdue University. She is currently working on her sophomore album with her band.

#83 Ramiele Malubay

2011-11-17T22:04:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is another Filipino, my number 83 American Idol finalist Ramiele Malubay. She is my least favorite finalist of American Idol season 7; she got ninth place. She was the subject of a minor controversy when a number of personal pictures came to light featuring Malubay and several female friends touching each other's breasts. She was ranked at number 95 by The Los Angeles Times on May 31, 2010. Her musical influences are Aretha Franklin, The Jackson 5, Mariah Carey, Lani Misalucha, and Regine Velasquez, citing the last one as her favorite artist.

Ramiele Macrohon Malubay was born to Roger Malubay and Alicia Macrohon on September 6, 1987, in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, of Filipino heritage. She is of Ilocano descent. Upon the outbreak of the Persian Gulf War in 1991, Malubay's parents sent her to Manila, Philippines, the city where the final iteration of the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011 was held. The family later relocated to the United States and currently reside in Miramar, Florida. She graduated from Charles W. Flanagan High School, which was founded in 1996 and located near Broward County's C.B. Smith Park and the Walter C. Young Middle School and Resource Center in Pembroke Pines, Florida. She studied nursing at Broward College (formerly known as Broward Community College), a state college founded in 1959 as part of a move to broaden Florida's two-year college system and located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and a member of the Florida College System.

Malubay started Polynesian Dancing when she was in the first grade and started singing at the age of twelve. At an early age Malubay started singing for various Filipino-American function across the state of Florida, as well as opening for Filipino acts such as Kuh Ledesma (known by her mother as Maria Socorro Ledesma) and Martin Nievera during American tours.

Malubay successfully auditioned for American Idol season 7 in August 2007 when she performed "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin. During the first Hollywood Round, she performed "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" by Aretha Franklin. During the second Hollywood Round, she performed "I've Got the Music in Me" by The Kiki Dee Band. She got a very positive reception after her performance of "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" during top 24 week. Judge Randy Jackson called her performance "classy, almost like a pro," while Simon Cowell proclaimed that she "outsang every single person" that night. Cowell also named her "one of the top three singers in the competition" after her performance of "Don't Leave Me This Way" and also noted that she was "probably the most consistently good singer" during the Hollywood rounds. During top 20 week, Malubay performed "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Harold Melvin. During top 16 week, she performed "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" by Phil Collins. During top 12 week, she performed "In My Life" by The Beatles. During top 11 week, she performed "I Should Have Known Better" by The Beatles. During top 10 week, she performed "Alone" by i-TEN. After performing "Do I Ever Cross My Mind" by Dolly Parton during top 9 week, she was eliminated from American Idol. After an emotional farewell, she did an encore of "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" following her elimination. Malubay had never been in the bottom 3 prior to her elimination. During her time on American Idol, she was roommates with Syesha Mercado and Brooke White. It was frequently shown that a friendship formed between Malubay and American Idol semifinalists Danny Noriega and Kady Malloy, and third place finalist Syesha Mercado. Malubay also mentioned during her pre-performance video interview for Top 11 week that she had formed close bonds with fifth place finalist Brooke White and winner David Cook.

Malubay participated in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2008, where she performed "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5, "Love Will Lead You Back" by Taylor Dayne, and "If I Never See Your Face Again" by Maroon 5 featuring Rihanna. She performed "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2 with Chikezie Eze, Michael Johns, Kristy Lee Cook, Carly Smithson, and Brooke White. She expressed that she is willing to go to the Philippines to pursue her music career, following the footsteps of American Idol season 3 finalist Jasmine Trias. If she fails as a recording artist, Malubay intends to return to school and pursue acting.

Her appearances after her elimination from American Idol include Live with Regis and Kelly, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Today show, The Sauce, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, Access Hollywood, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She expressed that she is willing to work with The Walt Disney Company during her appearance on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet. On 2008, she was nominated as a Favorite TV Personality by the JC Penney Asian Excellence Awards. She performed in a concert in the Philippines with Ogie Alcasid and Pinoy Idol finalists Gretchen Espina, Jayann Bautista, Ram Chaves, and Robby Navarro in December 2007.

On November 14, 2009, Ramiele performed the "Star Spangled Banner" before the main boxing event between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Ángel Cotto at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. She was billed simply as "Ramiele".

#84 Camile Velasco

2011-11-14T15:16:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 84 American Idol finalist Camile Velasco. She got ninth place on American Idol season 3. She is a quarter Irish, quarter Spanish, and half Filipino. Her music genres are acoustic pop, R&B, and reggae.

Ciara-Camile Roque Velasco was born on September 1, 1985, in Makati City, Philippines, and raised Haiku, Maui, located in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Before her stint on American Idol, she was a struggling songwriter and composer who worked at her parents' International House of Pancakes (IHOP) Restaurant in Kahului, Hawaii. She has since released a single with Universal/Motown Records, headlined events in California, Hawaii, and elsewhere in the world. She is currently signed to Up Above Records to complete her debut album.

Velasco auditioned for American Idol season 3 in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, along with Jasmine Trias. The judges unanimously put her through to the Hollywood Round after praising her for her rendition of the chorus and bridge of "Ready or Not" by The Fugees, which contains a sample from a Delfonics song. Simon Cowell commented that she was "actually very good", assuring that Velasco that she did not need to be nervous. Randy Jackson added that he has loved the sound of Velasco's voice and that he "love the kinda dark quality of it." Finally, Paula Abdul stated that Velasco has "a real interesting tone" and that "You’re a beautiful, beautiful girl.” She encouraged Velasco not to be afraid to “let go” and to “know and own the fact that you’re really good.”

In the Hollywood round, Velasco sang several songs solo and performed "You Can't Hurry Love" in a group. She made it through to the top 32, in the second group of semifinalists. After her stirring performance of "One Last Cry" by Brian McKnight, Cowell stated that Velasco was "probably the best out of the group tonight." Before she left the stage, Randy Jackson requested that she infuse more of her hip-hop style into her next performance, and Velasco jovially replied, "I'll do it, baby."

At the results show, Velasco emerged as the top vote-getter in her group, just as Cowell had predicted, and she shed actual tears as she performed a reprise of "One Last Cry." Velasco quickly became the pride of Hawaii, and small-town Maui in particular, causing the islands to vote exponentially more than in previous years. Her return home before the finals was deeply emotional, as she was showered with support and physically covered with colorful leis.

On American Idol, Velasco’s trademark was a red, yellow and green Rastafarian wristband, which she continually wore on her left wrist as a good luck charm and as an homage to the reggae movement (and specifically her musical influences Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill). According to her, the three colors represented peace, happiness, and unity, respectively. Velasco also wore the 3rd Eye Vision logotype of the Hieroglyphics, a San Francisco Bay Area hip-hop crew, on several occasions, reflecting her love of the music and culture. In the media, Velasco became known for wearing self-designed apparel, and for being consistently unafraid to express her unique interests, conscious outlook, and sensitive ideology.

Vocally, Velasco was quickly classified as being hip-hop—a culture and style she certainly identified with (but was not limited to). In the competition, she was even likened to her musical influence Lauryn Hill, one of the most influential women in hip-hop—a comparison that nearly brought Velasco to tears. On top 12 week, she performed "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield. On top 11 week, she performed "Desperado" by Eagles. On top 10 week, she performed "For Once in My Life" by Stevie Wonder, which would later be performed by Scotty McCreery on top 11 week of season 10. On top 9 week, she performed "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." She sang those songs in her own personal musical style, without consciously applying a particular genre to her performances.

However, on April 7, 2004, Velasco was eliminated from American Idol finishing in ninth place. She was in the bottom three with third-placer Jasmine Trias and runner-up Diana DeGarmo. Velasco and Trias were asked to perform one more time before Ryan Seacrest revealed the night's verdict.
Mostly due to increasingly harsh criticism from the judges, Velasco seemed to anticipate her departure. As a result, she became the first contestant to alter the lyrics of her song impromptu, substituting “the blues” with “I love you,” as she pointed to her fans in the audience and her fellow contestants, and replacing “back to the howling old owl in the woods” with “back to the island of Maui, at home.” Velasco kept her composure as her name was announced, but began to cry during her dedication video. As the show ended, the remaining finalists were quick to encircle her in a tight embrace.

Despite her departure from the show, Velasco’s fanbase continued to support her, hence becoming a cult favorite. She was inundated by gifts and letters, even months after her elimination. Since her stint on American Idol, Velasco has gained a reputation for engaging her fans, and patiently meeting with crowds of people, to the occasional dismay of the employees and management at certain venues. Velasco’s motto, however, is “love life” and she has consistently taken an appreciative, laid-back approach to each public event.

lthough she received criticism from the judges during the show’s finals, Velasco’s track on the American Idol Season 3 CD "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)", was praised by music reviewers in New York and LA, and identified as the best track on the album by several major publications. It seemed to highlight her potential as a recording artist.

#85 Casey Abrams

2011-11-13T20:23:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Casey Abrams. He landed in sixth place on American Idol season 10, five weeks after being saved by the judges. I think Pia Toscano was more worthy of the judges' save than he was. His musical influences are Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Oscar Peterson, and James Taylor as well as Marshall Hawkins, the head of the jazz department at Idyllwild Arts Academy.

Casey Abrams was born to Pam Pierce and Ira Abrams on February 12, 1991, the day before season 7 semifinalist Alexandréa Lushington was born, in Austin, Texas. He spent his childhood in Chicago, Illinois, first and then in Wilmette, Illinois, where he attended McKenzie Elementary School.

Abrams later relocated to Idyllwild, California, and attended middle school and high school there. He was a student at Idyllwild Arts Academy in Idyllwild, California, where his father teaches film production. At Idyllwild Arts, he studied classical bass instruction and improvisation, and participted in the jazz ensembles, gaining a foundation in music history, piano, and jazz piano, and learning to compose film scores.

After graduating from Idyllwild Arts Academy in 2009, Abrams attended University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado, majoring in music. He worked as a film camp counselor at Idyllwild Arts Summer Camp prior to his appearance on American Idol.

Abrams suffers from ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory disease which causes ulceration and inflammation of the colon, and that occasionally requires blood transfusions, which resulted in his having been hospitalized while on American Idol.

Abrams auditioned for American Idol season 10 in Austin, Texas, with the song "I Don't Need No Doctor" by Ray Charles. During Hollywood Round Part 1, he performed "Lullaby of Birdland" by Ella Fitzgerald. During Hollywood Round Part 2, his group performed "Get Ready" by The Temptations. During Hollywood Round Part 3, Abrams performed "Georgia on My Mind" by Hoagy Carmichael. During Las Vegas Round, his group performed "A Hard Day's Night" by The Beatles. Abrams was selected as one of the top 24 semifinalists, but two days before he was due to perform for the semifinal round, he suffered severe stomach pains and was rushed to the hospital. He was well enough to perform on performance night, when he performed "I Put a Spell on You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and he was one of the five male vote receivers to advance to the top 13. However, after performing "With a Little Help from My Friends" by The Beatles, he missed the top 13 results show due to his illness. During top 12 week, he performed "Smells Like a Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. During top 11a week, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by The Miracles. He was the lowest vote receiver on the top 11a result show, but was saved by the judges; they chose to save him immediately, stopping his supposedly last performance on the show, an encore of "I Don't Need No Doctor", halfway through it. He is the third finalist to be saved by the judges in three seasons. During top 11b week, he performed "Your Song" by Elton John. During top 9 week, he performed "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. During top 8 week, he performed "Nature Boy" by Nat King Cole, featured in the 1948 film The Boy with Green Hair. During top 7 week, he performed "Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5. During top 6 week, he performed a duet "I Feel the Earth Move" (by Carole King) with Haley Reinhart and a solo "Hi-De-Ho" by The City. Abrams was eliminated from the competition on April 28, 2011, finishing in sixth place. During his exit performance, he performed the same song he performed in the semifinal round. During the performance he kissed audience members, rolled onto the stage, thanked the judges, and sang the last two words ("you're mine") to fellow contestant to fellow finalist Haley Reinhart.

After his stint on American Idol, Abrams appeared and performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on April 29, 2011, and Live with Regis and Kelly on May 2, 2011. He also appeared on MTV's The Seven on May 2, 2011. He appeared and performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on May 5, 2011. During the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011, he performed "Smooth" by Rob Thomas and Santana, "Moanin" with Haley Reinhart, and "Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5. Earlier, he performed "Animal" by Neon Trees with the other male members of the top 11. In August 2011, Abrams became a spokesman in a national campaign called IBD Icons to raise awareness of inflammatory bowel disease. He is managed by 19 Entertainment. He will be releasing a cover of "Baby It's Cold Outside" with Haley Reinhart.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 84 American Idol finalist. She was born in Makati City, Phillippines. Her family relocated to Haiku, Maui, located in Hawaii. Before her stint on American Idol, she was a struggling songwriter/composer who worked at her parents' IHOP Restaurant in Kahului.

#86 Anthony Fedorov

2011-11-13T19:25:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 86 American Idol finalist Anthony Fedorov. He got fourth place on American Idol season 4. He hails from Trevose, Pennsylvania. He is well known as a balladeer, and the judges view them as his best style.

Anthony Vladimirovich "Anthony" Fedorov (Ukranian: Анатолій Володимирович Федоров) was born on May 4, 1985, in Yalta, Ukraine, a city in Crimea in southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea and located on the site of an ancient Greek colony. His family relocated to Trevose, Pennsylvania, in 1994. He faced tracheotomy at toddlerhood due to a birth defect in his windpipe, from which a scar is still visible. Despite skepticism that he would ever have the ability to speak again, he perservered and began to sing at an early age, and he is a tenor and pianist. He is a member of the Neshaminy High School class of 2003. He attended Bucks County Community College, a two-year community college located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia and founded in 1964. He speaks Russian and English. He can sing in English, Russian, Spanish, and Italian.

Fedorov resided in Trevose, Pennsylvania, at the time of his stint on American Idol. He auditioned for American Idol season 4 in Cleveland, Ohio, with the song "Angel" by Jon Secada. He performed "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" by Diana Ross, which would later be performed during that season by Vonzell Solomon, and reprised "Angel" by Jon Secada during the Hollywood Round. On top 24 week, Fedorov performed "Hold On the Nights" by Richard Marx. On top 20 week, he performed "I Want to Know What Love Is" by the British-American rock sextet called Foreigner. On top 16 week, he performed "I've Got You" by Marc Anthony. On top 12 week, he performed "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" by Neil Sedaka. On top 11 week, he performed "I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)" by Aretha Franklin and George Michael. On top 10 week, he performed "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" by Elton John. On top 9 week, he performed "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" by The Sound of Music. On top 8 week, he performed "Every Time You Go Away" by Paul Young. On top 7 week, he performed "Don't Take Away the Music" by Tavares. On top 6 week, he performed "I Surrender" by Celine Dion. On top 5 week, he performed "Poison Ivy" by The Coasters and "Incomplete" by Backstreet Boys. On May 11, 2005, Fedorov was eliminated from the show after performing "I'm Already There" by Lonestar and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. It is said by many that his rendition of "If You Don't Know Me By Now" was one of his top performances, having been on-key through the entire song and praised by the judges. It was viewed as one of his most accomplished performances, along with his top 8 and top 6 performances.

Two days after Fedorov was eliminated from the show, his brother was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma. Following the show, rumors of a relationship between Fedorov and the season's winner Carrie Underwood dominated discussion of the season. The rumors were sparked by Underwood's reaction to Fedorov's departure, when she sobbed openly and was seen on-screen saying "I love you" to him. Fedorov and Underwood denied the rumors, saying that they had a "brother–sister" relationship. They remained very close for some time after American Idol, with Fedorov accompanying Underwood to the CMA Awards on November 6, 2006. She also visited him on the set of The Fantasticks during his run on that show.

In June 2006, Fedorov finished in second place as a contestant on a special Reality TV edition of NBC's Fear Factor, which is scheduled to make a comeback in December 2011, alongside American Idol season 2 finalist Carmen Rasmusen. He also appeared in four episodes of MTV's talent show Little Talent Show — Triple Threat, which aired on the September 26, 2006, a few days after his brother Denis died of Ewing's sarcoma.

Fedorov now resides in New York City. In April 2007, he toured American Air Force bases in Europe, judging the Military Idol contest and performing. He has since become a national spokesperson for the Sarcoma Foundation of America and, in 2008, was appointed to the SFA Board of Directors. He has been performing at the SFA Annual Gala every year since 2007. He performed "The National Anthem" for the New York Knicks, the Oakland Raiders, the Seattle Mariners, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He performed in the US tour of the stage production Simply Ballroom, touring across the United States March through April 2008. Fedorov will reprise the role of the Prince in the second annual production of Cinderella in Nashville on April 15, 2011.

Fedorov's first record, Never Over, is scheduled for release in July 2011. The initial release is going to be an EP with six original songs, written or co-written by Fedorov. His single, which is called "You’re Perfect" is scheduled for release on June 29, 2011. He said "When people hear it they won’t expect to hear what they are going to hear. What people remember me doing on American Idol was ballads, but it has been 6 years and my voice has gotten deeper and has developed a lot of color and a lot of strength. I am really excited to introduce this part of myself. I would say my journey begins on June 29th when we release the single. My record will be released sometime in July, but we will start with the single first. I am really excited about it all."

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 85 American Idol finalist. He was saved by the judges on American Idol season 10.

#87 Corey Clark

2011-11-07T23:35:00.001-05:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Corey Clark. He was known for his highly publicized disqualification, finishing in ninth place on American Idol season 2. He is signed to Universal and Bungalo Records. He hails from Lufkin, Texas. He has a long rap sheet. He was ranked at number 74 on The Los Angeles American Idol top 120 power rankings chart of May 31, 2010.

Corey Delaney Clark was born to Duane and Jan Clark on July 13, 1980, in San Bernandino, California. His parents were singers who met on the road in Nashville, Tennessee in early 1978 to follow ther musical aspirations. His father Duane was an R&B and disco singer who performed in San Bernandino, California, opened for Al Wilson and B.B. King and recorded and performed with the James Last Orchestra (a German band established in 1964 and led by Hans Last) and the Hamburger Symphoniker (a German orchestra founded in 1957 and based in Hamburg, Germany), and is of African American, Cherokee, Apache, and Blackfoot descent. His mother Jan, great granddaughter of of a Budapest concert pianist, is of Hungarian-Ukranian, Jewish, Irish, French, Cherokee, and Algonquian descent. Jan met Duane in Nashville, Tennessee, while working in nightclubs specializing R&B and Barbra Streisand. The multiracial nature of the Clarks’ relationship and of Corey’s heritage was a source of racial conflict for the family during the Clarks' early years in Lufkin, Texas, where Corey recalls a story his parents told him about a December 1979 incident in which the couple were driving to church for a Christmas celebration event with his father Duane costumed as Santa Claus, when they were pulled over by a Caucasian police officer, who smashed one of the car’s tail lights, and told Duane he was being pulled over and arrested for driving with a broken tail light.

Less subtle was the racism at school, where Clark says he and his sister got into fights with schoolmates in the first grade who used racial slurs against them. Adding to his sense of identity confusion was the fact that African Americans also rejected him, using a portmanteau racial slur against him and his sister, on which Clark comments, “It’s real unsettling when you’re young and don’t know which group you belong to.” Today, Clark reflects on his multiethnic heritage with pride, and says he wishes more people were open-minded about interracial dating, saying, “Our family could claim to be the ultimate melting pot,” and that being of so many different ethnicities gave him the ability to "adapt to any situation."

Clark's musical interest began at an early age; his first clear musical influences were his parents, his aunt Audrey, and his father's band recording a demonstration tape in a studio in Denver, Colorado. Having attended concerts by Boyz II Men, TLC, and Montell Jordan, he began to sing at the age of 11 without formal training, at school functions and concerts.

Clark received his first formal training job at the age of 13, when Debbie Byrd, a family friend and vocal coach who would later go on to work on American Idol, recruited him and his parents to be among the backup singers for Barry Manilow during a week-long appearance in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although Manilow was not Clark's favorite, he realized his dream during this engagement, saying: "When the curtain went up the first night, I was floored by the response from the sell-out crowd. I’d never been on stage as a professional singer before, and I got to see someone at the peak of his career working the stage and the audience. Every night he made his performance feel fresh, not just going through the motions. Experiencing the energy of a live show wasn’t at all like listening to a tape or a CD, I realized. It was magical. I was hooked!"

At age 14, Clark started and performed as the lead vocalist in a R&B vocal group called Envy. The group also included the now-Grammy-Award-winning R&B Ne-Yo (known by his mother as Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr.), Solomon Ridge, and Ray Blaylock. Envy performed in several talent contests, and a few years later, won the grand prize at a Las Vegas amateur singing contest. Envy also opened major shows for major artists such as Mýa and Destiny's Child (which included Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams), and performed during Amateur Night at the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. The group signed a recording deal in 2000, but nothing came of it, and it disbanded after eight years of performances.

Clark and his family relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, and while working as a stage hand in 2002, he auditioned for American Idol season 2 in Nashville, Tennessee, with "Never Can Say Goodbye" by The Jackson 5, which would be performed by Jorge Núñez on American Idol season 8. He has been described as "one of the most impressive top ten finalists of the talent search’s second season". Clark names making it to the live rounds during that season to be his proudest moment. During the semifinal rounds, in semifinal group #4, he performed "Foolish Heart" by Steve Perry, and he advanced to the finals alongside Josh Gracin. On top 12 week, he performed "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You) by The Isley Brothers. On top 11 week, he performed "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" by Phil Collins from the film Against All Odds. On top 10 week, he performed "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray, and after that he was disqualfied. Due to his disqualification, he was replaced on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2003 with Charles Grigsby.

Clark's favorite male musical artist is Michael Jackson. His favorite female musical artist Beyoncé Knowles. His favorite albums are Purple Rain by Prince and II by Boyz II Men. His favorite song to sing is "Doing Just Fine" by Boyz II Men. His other musical influences include Ginuwine, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Brian McKnight.

During the American Idol competition, The Smoking Gun revealed that Clark had been arrested at his residence in Topeka, Kansas, on October 12, 2002, after neighbors called police after hearing a commotion within the residence, including a girl yelling. Police arrived and questioned Clark and his 15-year-old sister Alysha, after which Clark became confrontational with the officers. Clark alleges police misconduct in handling the matter, asserting that he was beaten by the officers, who ultimately wrestled Clark to the pavement and handcuffed him behind his back. After managing to get his handcuffed hands in front him in the squad car, he was shown a taser and warned he would be shot with it if he continued to resist, at which point he relented. He was charged with misdemeanor battery on four police officers and his sister, and endangering the welfare of a child. However, both Clark and his sister Alysha have denied that he ever hit her, and Alysha echoed her brother's account of the way the situation transpired.

On December 4, days after Clark made the top 24 on American Idol, he was charged in Kansas District Court with resisting arrest, battering his sister, and resisting arrest. Clark ultimately pleaded "no contest" to "obstructing legal process" through a plea agreement, and was sentenced to sixth months of unsupervised probation and ordered to pay US$116.00 in legal fees. Clark states in his book, "Initially no charges were filed against me, and I was refunded my US$116.00 bond money after attending a November 11, 2002 court hearing back in Topeka." That December, after Corey had filled out his contracts for American Idol and was publicly named a semi-finalist on the show, the state district attorney elected to proceed with the case and filed charges against him.

According to American Idol's producers, Clark did not disclose his arrest record when joining the competition, although Clark maintains in Chapter 6 of his book entitled "American Paulatics" that he spoke with them and with judge Paula Abdul about his legal troubles. Producers also explained that the background checks conducted on all contestants did not uncover his arrest because of a misspelling of Clark's name in the police report. Clark maintains that this could not be true, as all background checks are conducted via social security numbers (rather than names), which Clark had provided to producers in his contract. The producers disqualified Clark from further participation in the competition nine hours after The Smoking Gun's story was disclosed.

Clark, along with the other second season finalists, recorded RCA Records' The American Idol Season 2: All-time Classic Love Songs soundtrack. Their version of the song "What the World Needs Now is Love" debuted at #6 on the Hot 100 singles sales Billboard Magazine Chart, beating out Jackie DeShannon's 1965 debut of the same song in at #7. With singles charting at #1 ("God Bless the U.S.A.") and #6 ("What the World Needs Now is Love") that year, Clark and the rest of the second season cast became the first act since rapper Nelly to place two titles in the top ten of Billboard Hot 100 Singles sales. In the May 17, 2003, issue of Billboard Magazine, the soundtrack attained Billboards Top Soundtrack #1 spot, Billboards Top internet Album sales at #14, The Billboard 200 hot shot debut at #2, and the single "God Bless the U.S.A." remained at #1 for 3 weeks. The soundtrack sold more than 500,000 copies domestically, giving Clark and his fellow second season castmates Gold record status, as well as making them all #1 artists on the Billboard Music Charts of May, 2003.

Clark's first album, Corey Clark, was published on June 21, 2005. Although the making of the album was highly publicized, the final product received minimal promotion or radio play. Despite high profile superstar featured guest spots from The Black Eyed Peas (which included Will.i.am and Fergie) and Scott Storch, consumers generally overlooked the album. Clark claimed that radio conglomerate Clear Channel refused to play his record due to threats Clear Channel received that all American Idol promotional and advertising dollars would be pulled from any station playing Clark's record.

Clark signed a one album, press and distribution label imprint deal with Universal/Bungalo Records, making him the first American Idol contestant in history to release his own album under his own record company distributed by a major label. This helped him earn a larger share of the album royalties and profits, and made him a partner in the decision-making process into the creative development of the album.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 86 American Idol finalist. He was born in Yalta, Ukraine. He had a tracheotomy as a toddler due to a birth defect in his windpipe, from which a scar is still visible. He was voted off American Idol after singing "I'm Already There" by Lonestar and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. Two days after that, his brother was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma. He competed in a special Reality TV edition of NBC's Fear Factor along with American Idol season 2 finalist Carmen Rasmusen.

#88 Lauren Alaina

2011-10-29T21:50:00.004-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Lauren Alaina. She is the runner-up of American Idol season 10. She is vocally compared to American Idol season 4 winner Carrie Underwood, who is her musical influence. Her favorite quote is the same as Scotty McCreery's. She and McCreery are signed to the same record labels, which are 19 Records, Interscope Records, and Mercury Nashville.

Lauren Alaina Kristine Suddeth was born on my 15th birthday, November 8, 1994, to Kristy and J.J. Suddeth of Rossville, Georgia. Her father works as a process technician in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Alaina is a strong Christian, and often states that she lives for Jesus Christ.

At the time of her stint on American Idol, Lauren was a Sophomore at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, where she is a cheerleader. Alaina was inspired to sing by her cousin, Holly Witherow, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Before her stint on American Idol, Alaina performed at several Chattanooga-area venues and was the first winner of the WinniSTAR youth talent contest at Lake Winnepesaukah amusement park in 2009. In addition to performing, Alaina wrote several songs including "Leaving" and "Set Me Free".

Alaina auditioned for American Idol season 10 in Nashville, Tennessee, with the songs "Like We Never Loved at All" by Faith Hill and "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith. From then on, she was a judge favorite. After her audition, American Idol judge Steven Tyler said "We found the one." During the first Hollywood Round, Alaina performed "Unchained Melody" by Todd Duncan. During Hollywood Group Round, her group performed "Some Kind of Wonderful" by Soul Brothers Six. During the third Hollywood Round, she performed "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith. During the Las Vegas Round, her group performed "Hello, Goodbye" by The Beatles. During the Sing for Your Life Round, she performed "Unchained Melody" by Todd Duncan.

On top 24 semifinal week, Alaina performed "Turn On the Radio" by Reba McEntire. On top 13 week, she performed "Any Man of Mine" by Shania Twain, which was previously performed by Siobhan Magnus on top 6 week (the week of Magnus' elimination) of American Idol season 9. On top 12 week, she performed "I'm the Only One" by Melissa Etheridge. On top 11A week, she performed "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by The Supremes. On top 11B week, she performed "Candle in the Wind" by Elton John. On top 9 week, she performed "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin. On top 8 week, she performed "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus, featured on the 2009 film Hanna Montana: The Movie. On top 7 week, she performed "Born to Fly" by Sara Evans. On top 6 week, she performed a solo "Where You Lead" by Carole King and a duet "Up on the Roof" by The Drifters with Scotty McCreery. On top 5 week, she performed "Flat on the Floor" by Katrina Elam and an encore of "Unchained Melody" by Todd Duncan. On top 4 week, she performed "Anyway" by Martina McBride and "Trouble" by Elvis Pressley. On top 3 week, May 14, 2011 was proclaimed "Lauren Alaina Day" in her hometown of Rossville, Georgia. Alaina then performed "Wild One" by Zaca Creek as chosen by herself, "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry as chosen by Jimmy Iovine, and "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack, which was previously performed by Scotty McCreery during the third Hollywood round, as chosen by the judges. During finale week, Alaina performed an encore of her first top 5 performance, and then performed "Maybe It Was Memphis" by Pam Tillis, as chosen by Carrie Underwood, and her would-be coronation song "Like My Mother Does", which was originally recorded by American Idol season 7 finalist Kristy Lee Cook. During the finale, she performed "Before He Cheats" with her American Idol Carrie Underwood. On May 25, 2011, Alaina was declared the runner-up to Scotty McCreery.

Alaina released her single "Like My Mother Does" following the finale of American Idol season 10. The song entered the Billboard Hot Country charts at number 49 and the Hot 100 chart at number 20 and sold 121,000 copies in its first week.

Following the finale of American Idol season 10, Alaina has appeared and performed on several talk shows like NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Live With Regis and Kelly, and The Today Show. On June 8, 2011, she and McCreery presented at the CMT Music Awards. In addition, she was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on June 9, and she performed with Martina McBride during her LP Field performance at the CMA Music Festival the day after that.

As the runner-up in the competition, Alaina won a contract that gave her $87,500 in advances which will be doubled when she records an album. Alaina has been signed to Mercury Nashville Records, 19 Recordings and Interscope. On October 11, 2011, Alaina released her debut album, Wildflower and sold sold 69,000 the first week.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 87 American Idol finalist. He is known for his highly publicized disqualification from American Idol season 2 and later allegations of a sexual relationship between him and then American Idol judge Paula Abdul. He was replaced on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2003 with Charles Grigsby. He was ranked at number 74 in the The Los Angeles Times' top 120 American Idol power rankings list of May 31, 2010.

#89 Scotty McCreery

2011-10-29T21:23:00.002-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 89 finalist, who is none other than the current American Idol, country singer Scotty McCreery. He is the winner of American Idol season 10. He is my least favorite American Idol winner. He was pimped (or shipped) all throughout the voting rounds. He won with significantly inflated voting margins. I am glad Adam Stanton did a pop cover of McCreery's coronoation song "I Love You This Big." McCreery worked as a grocery store clerk at the time of his stint on American Idol. I never voted for him on American Idol. His favorite quote is, at Phillipians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." His musical influences are Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Conway Twitty, Garth Brooks, Josh Turner, George Strait, and Elvis Pressley.

Scott Cooke McCreery was born on October 9, 1993, to Judy (née Cooke) and Michael McCreery in Garner, North Carolina. His mother Judy is a realtor, and his father Michael works as a manufacturing systems analyst. His father was born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, to a Puerto Rican mother from San Juan and an White American father. His mother is the daughter of a retired school teacher from Gates County, North Carolina. McCreery used to impersonate Elvis Pressley during childhood, and began to study guitar at the age of ten. He attended Timber Drive Elementary School in Garner, North Carolina, and later West Lake Middle School where he sang at his graduation. He also attended Garnet Magnet High School where joined vocal ensemble known as Die Meistersingers, that performs across the United States. He started out singing at the tenor register but switched to the bass register when his voice turned lower in his sophomore year.

McCreery won a singing contest called "Clayton Idol" at the Clayton Harvest Festival in Clayton, North Carolina. He was one of the 36 finalists in a "Rip the Hallways" contest featuring teenage vocalists in North Carolina. He has performed at various local charity events. He also attended Caswell Youth Retreat in the summer of 2009, and participated in the talent show there singing Long Black Train by Josh Turner.

McCreery is very religious. He often states that his religion plays a significant role in his life and that God helps him get through the things he has to face in life. He openly tells others that he loves Jesus Christ with all of his heart and that he needs to stand by Him all the time, because God is the only way he can get through the competition. He also states that Sunday is his favorite day of the week because, he gets to attend the First Baptist Church in Garner and helps his mother prepare meals for the church.

McCreery auditioned for American Idol season 10 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with the songs "Your Man" by Josh Turner and "Put Some Drive in Your Country" by Travis Tritt. The judges were struck by his deep bass voice unusual for his age. During the first Hollywood round, McCreery did an encore of "Your Man" by Josh Turner. In the Hollywood group round, he joined the "Guaps" and became embroiled in the drama when fellow group member Clint Jun Gamboa expelled Jacee Badeaux from the group. They performed "Get Ready" by The Temptations. He later expressed regret for not standing up for Jacee. During the third Holywood Round, McCreery performed "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack. In the Las Vegas Round, he performed "Hello, Goodbye" by The Beatles. During the Sing for Your Life Round, he performed "Long Black Train" by Josh Turner. He was one of the five male vote getters in the semi-final round to advance to the Top 13. In an interview with Ryan Seacrest, he confirmed that has Puerto Rican ancestry, specifically his paternal grandmother. McCreery was never in the bottom 2 or 3 during the season joining past winners Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, and Lee DeWyze.

During top 24 semifinal week, McCreery performed "Letters from Home" by John Michael Montgomery. During top 13 week, he performed "The River" by Garth Brooks. During top 12 week, he performed "Can I Trust You with My Heart" by Travis Tritt. During top 11A week, he performed "For Once in My Life" by Stevie Wonder. During top 11B week, he performed "Country Comfort" by Elton John. During top 9 week, he performed "That's All Right" by Arthur Crudup. During top 8 week, he performed "I Cross My Heart" by George Strait, featured on the 1992 Western film Pure Country. During top 7 week, he performed "Swingin'" by John Anderson. During top 6 week, he performed a solo "You've Got a Friend" by Carole King and a duet "Up on the Roof" by The Drifters with Lauren Alaina. During top 5 week, McCreery performed "Gone" by Montgomery Gentry and "Always on My Mind" by Brenda Lee. During top 4 week, he performed "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" by Alan Jackson and "Young Blood" by The Coasters. During McCreery's top 3 homecoming day, Garner Mayor Ronnie Williams gave McCreery the key to the town of Garner and officially made May 14 "Scotty McCreery Day." During that week, McCreery performed "Amazed" by Lonestar as chosen by himself, "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not" by Thompson Square as chosen by Jimmy Iovine, and "She Believes in Me" by Kenny Rogers as chosen by the judges. During finale week, he did an encore of his first top 5 peformance and then performed "Check Yes or No" by George Strait, and then his coronation song "I Love You This Big." He won American Idol season 10 on May 25, 2011, with Lauren Alaina as the runner-up.

McCreery released his coronation single "I Love You Tis Big" shortly after winning American Idol season 10. The song entered the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at number 32, becoming the highest debut for a debut single since the chart converted to BDS data the week of January 20, 1990. The song sold 171,404 units in its first week, and was RIAA certified gold on August 25, 2011. A music video for the song, shot on Angels Point near Dodger Stadium, was released on August 9 2011. He signed with Mercury Nashville, earning a contract that gave him over $250,000 in advances for recording the first album. On October 19, 2011, McCreery sang the United States National Anthem in Game 1 of the World Series between the Saint Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers at Busch Stadium in Saint Louis, Missouri.

McCreery's first album, titled Clear as Day, was released on October 4, 2011. His coronation single "I Love You This Big" is the second track on the album. Tracks from the album include a song from Keith Urban, and the title track "Clear as Day." A single from this album, "The Trouble With Girls" was premiered on radio on August 30, 2011, and released onto iTunes on September 1, 2011. An exclusive pre-order package on the album was offered in his website on August 8, 2011.

The album sold 197,000 on its debut week, and Scotty McCreery made history as the first country act to debut at No. 1 on Billboard 200 ith their first studio album, as well as the youngest man to open at the top of the chart with his debut release. It reached No. 1 on five separate Billboard charts - Billboard 200, Top Current Albums, Digital Albums, Internet Albums, and Top Country Albums.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 88 American Idol finalist. She lost the finale to the subject of this blog entry.

#90 Siobhan Magnus

2011-10-28T22:42:00.000-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 90 American Idol finalist Siobhan Magnus. She landed in sixth place on American Idol season 9. She was ranked at number 31 by The Los Angeles Times top 120 power rankings list of May 31, 2010. Her music genres are pop, rock, blues, and soul. Her musical influences are Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday, Lauryn Hill, Courtney Love, Johnny Lang, her father Alan Magnus, Stevie Wonder, and others. Her favorite quote is: "Sing as if no one were listening."

Siobhan Evelyn Magnus was born to Alan and Colleen Magnus on March 15, 1990, in Barnstable, Massachusetts. She grew up with two older brothers Rory and Joe, an older sister Emily, and two younger sisters Ceili and Azora. Her father Alan is a singer-songwriter. Her siblings play in various musical acts, and her brother Rory is in the motion picture animation industry. She is the niece of Tracy Ferrie, a former bassist for the Christian metal act called Stryper and Alan Ware, and drummer for Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra.

Magnus has been singing since fourth grade, where she sang "Tomorrow" from the play Annie in a choral concert. She started her career as the lead vocalist of an alternative rock band called Lunar Value, also consisting of lead guitarist Ralph Bousquet, bassist Matthew Kohler, and drummer Jordan Bonina.

Magnus is a member of the Barnstable High School class of 2008 in Hyannis, Massachusetts. During her time in high school, she was a member of the Barnstable High School Drama Club. When the drama club was filmed for an Internet reality show by Warner Brothers, she was featured as one of the three incarnations of Dorothy for the play The Wizard of Oz. Back in the time of American Idol season 7, in a local profile about Magnus's singing talent, the music department chair of her school district was quoted as saying "Hands down, I think she'd win American Idol." During her senior year in high school, she was voted the most individual girl. She auditioned as a vocal major at Berkelee College of Music (a private college founded in 1945, accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges) and known as a school for jazz, rock, and popular music), but she was rejected. She dropped out of Salem State College, a four year public college founded in 1854 as Salem Normal School under the direction of Horace Mann and located approximately 15 miles north of Boston, Massachusetts, after one semester because she felt out of place as a non-partier.

Before her stint on American Idol, Magnus worked as an apprentice glassblower in Hyannis, Massachusetts. She auditioned for American Idol season 9 in Boston, Massachusetts, and was one of the two Massachusetts to make the semifinals of the show, with Tyler Grady being the other one. She auditioned with the song "Love of My Life" by the British rock band called Queen. During the first Hollywood round, she performed "A Woman's Worth" by Alicia Keys. During the second Hollywood round, she performed "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga. During the third Hollywood round, she performed "Living for the City" by Stevie Wonder, which would later be performed by James Durbin on American Idol season 10.

During top 24 week, Magnus performed "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak. During top 20 week, she performed "Think" by Aretha Franklin. During top 16 week, she performed the traditional song "The House of the Rising Sun." During top 12 week, she performed "Paint It, Black" by The Rolling Stones. During top 11 week, she performed "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder. During top 10 week, she performed "Through the Fire" by Chaka Khan. During top 9A week, she performed "Across the Universe" by The Beatles. During top 9B week, she performed "Suspicious Minds" by Mark James. During top 7 week, she performed "When You Believe" by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, which was previously performed by David Archuleta on top 7 week of American Idol season 7. I prefer Archuleta's verson over Magnus' version. During top 6 week, after performing "Any Man of Mine" by Shania Twain, Magnus was eliminated to sixth place. She was in the bottom 3 with Casey James and my favorite season 9 finalist Michael Lynche. Her elimination came as a surprise to many American Idol experts. Reportedly as a result, many fans of Magnus vowed not to watch the rest of American Idol season 9. The week after Magnus' dismissal, American Idol had its lowest ratings since 2002. Magnus is currently the only contestant from Massachusetts to become a finalist in American Idol history.

After her stint on American Idol, Magnus gave several media appearances and performed "House of the Rising Sun" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and "Paint It, Black" on The Late Show with David Letterman. Letterman would go on to say to Magnus "I don't know why they voted you off, frankly I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, you should be our American Idol". She also visited the If I Can Dream house, which stars American Idol season 9 semifinalist Alex Lambert, and sang "I Will Come to You" by Hanson and "Halo" by Beyoncé. She visited the house a second time with the Top 10 contestants, and sang many songs, including "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak, "No One" by Alicia Keys, "Creep" by Radiohead, and "Umbrella" by Rihanna, which would later be performed on American Idol season 10 by Naima Adedapo. She also appeared on The Wendy Williams Show performing "Summertime", composed by George Gershwin.

Magnus returned to the finale of American Idol on May 26, 2010 and sang "How Deep Is Your Love" with Aaron Kelly, who were later joined by the original artist The Bee Gees. She also had group performances with Alice Cooper, Christina Aguilera, and Janet Jackson.

On June 9, 2010, Magnus performed with childhood Idols Hanson at the Bardot in Hollywood, California. Magnus actually declared the experience (performing with Hanson) was "better than winning American Idol."

Magnus participated in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2010, where she performed "Paint It, Black" by The Rolling Stones, "Spiderwebs" by No Doubt, and "Stockholm Syndrome" by Muse. She also performed in two group numbers: "Climb" by Miley Cyrus and "My Life Would Suck Without You" by Kelly Clarkson. She was self-signed with the label Snotface. Her first single "Beatrice Dream" was released to iTunes on May 1, 2011. She has announced that the release of her debut album, Moonbaby, is being postponed due to "negotiations" with unspecified third-parties.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 89 American Idol finalist. He is the most recent American Idol winner.

#91 Phil Stacey

2011-10-27T22:53:00.000-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 91 (or 91st favorite) American Idol finalist Phil Stacey. Shortly after he was eliminated at sixth place on American Idol season 6 on May 2, 2007, he was signed to the now defunct Lyric Street Records. His second album was released under the record label Reunion Records. He was ranked at number 55 on The Los Angeles Times' American Idol top 120 power rankings chart of May 31, 2010. His favorite male recording artists are Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Sting, Michael Jackson, Timberlake, Robbie Williams, James Taylor and Sir Paul McCartney. His favorite female recording artists are Vienna Teng, Sheryl Crow, Anastasia, and American Idol judge Paula Abdul. His music genres are country and contemporary Christian music.

Joel Philip "Phil" Stacey was born to Adell Horn and Gary Stacey in Harlan County, Kentucky, on January 21, 1978. His mother Adell Horn hails from Madison County, Kentucky, and works as a nurse in Smyrna, Tennessee. His father Gary Stacey is the paster of the Church of God of Cleveland, Tennessee. Both of his grandfathers Carlie Horn and E.T. Stacey were also Church of God pastors. Stacey was raised in Fairfield, Ohio, and began to sing in church. In 2006, he served as the music minister for First Coast Christian Center in Jacksonville, Florida. His father-in-law Mark McIntosh is the pastor of the Evangelistic Center Church in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He currently resides in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with his wife Kendra and their two daughters, Chloe and McKayla.

Stacey graduated from Wichita Northwest High School in Wichita, Kansas, in 1997. He attended Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. He holds a degree in vocal performance from Lee, where he was a member of one of its auditioned choirs, Lee Singers, and part of that choir's internally-selected traveling ensemble, Second Edition.

Stacey served in the United States Navy at the time of his stint on American Idol. He auditioned for American Idol season 6 in Memphis, Tennessee. He resided in Jacksonville, Florida, at the time of his stint on American Idol. He had to miss the birth of his daughter McKayla in order to audition for American Idol. He auditioned with the songs "My Girl" by The Temptations and "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye, and then he advanced to the Hollywood round.

During top 24 week, Stacey performed "I Could Not Ask for More" by Edwin McCain. During top 20 week, he performed "Missing You" by John Waite. During top 16 week, he performed "I Need You" by LeAnne Rimes. During top 12 week, he performed "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" by Dee Dee Warwick. He was in the bottom 3 with Sanjaya Malakar and Brandon Rogers, who got eliminated that week. During top 11 week, he performed "Tobacco Road" by The Nashville Teens. During top 10 week, he performed "Every Breath You Take" by the English rock band called The Police. He was in the bottom 3 with my number 99 American Idol finalist Haley Scarnato and the week's eliminee Chris Sligh. During top 9 week, he performed "Night and Day" by Fred Astaire. He was in the bottom 3 once again with Haley Scarnato and the week's eliminee Gina Glocksen. During top 8 week, he performed "Maria Maria" by Santana & The Product G&B. He was in the bottom 3 with Chris Richardson and a third time with Haley Scarnato, who got eliminated that week. During top 7 week, he performed "Where the Blacktop Ends" by Keith Urban. During Idol Gives Back week, he performed "The Change" by Garth Brooks. After performing "Blaze of Glory" by Bon Jovi, Stacey was eliminated from American Idol alongside Chris Richardson in the top 6 results show, as no one was eliminated in the week before that.

In late 2007, Stacey was signed to Lyric Street Records, which went belly-up in 2010. Under that label, his first single was "If You Didn't Love Me", which released to country radio on January 7, 2008 and peaked at #28 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. It was written by Jason Sellers, Wendell Mobley, and Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts. His self-titled debut album was released in April 2008. Stacey also released a promotional single entitled "Old Glory" in July, and left Lyric Street Records soon thereafter. On January 28, 2009, Stacey was signed to Reunion Records, a Christian record label founded in 1982 by Dan Harrell and Mike Blanton, and based in Brentwood, Tennessee, and operating under the Provident Label Group. His album for the label, Into the Light, was released on August 25. It has sold 18,000 copies so far. His third album Faith was released on March 29, 2011, under the label Conquer Entertainment.

#92 Katharine McPhee

2011-10-23T22:45:00.001-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 92 American Idol finalist Katharine McPhee. She is the runner-up of American Idol season 5, losing the finale to Taylor Hicks. Her music genres are pop and R&B. She was ranked at number 14 by The Los Angeles Times on their top 120 American Idol power rankings list of May 31, 2010.

Katharine Hope McPhee was born to Patricia Burch McPhee (known by the stage name Peisha Arten) and Daniel McPhee in Los Angeles, California, on March 25, 1984. She was 21, and later 22, years old during her stint on American Idol. She has been singing since the age of two. She grew up with an older sister named Adriana. She is of Irish, Scottish, and German descent. She graduated from Notre Dame High School, a co-ed Catholic college preparatory high school founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1947 and located in Sherman Oaks, California, in 1992. During her time at Notre Dame High School, she performed in school plays and musicals. For three semesters, she attended Boston Conservatory, a performing arts conservatory founded in 1867 and located in the Femway-Kenmore region of Boston, Massachusetts, studying musical theater. She dropped out of college on the advice of her manager and returned to Los Angeles to audition for television pilots.

During her teenage years, McPhee struggled with eating disorders. She informed People magazine that at the age of 13, she began starving herself and exercising compulsively, and she became bulimic at the age of 17. McPhee gained weight in college due to her binging. After seven years of illness, she finally entered a three-month rehabilitation program after successfully passing her American Idol audition; her rehabilitation stint ended just before the American Idol live shows started in February 2006. During her stint on American Idol, she lost 30 pounds (14 kilograms) due to eating better as part of her treatment.

McPhee was persuaded by her now husband Nick Cokas and her parents Patricia and Daniel McPhee to audition for American Idol season 5. She auditioned in San Francisco, California, with the song "God Bless the Child", originally recorded by Billie Holiday.

After the first round of Hollywood week, she sang "I'll Never Love This Way Again" by Dionne Warwick which earned favorable comments from the judges. During the second round, she performed in a group, singing "I Can't Help Myself" by The Four Tops, forgetting the words, but the judges decided to advance the entire group. During the third round, she sang "My Funny Valentine" a capella and advanced to the top 40. She was mad when fellow group member Crystal Stark didn't make the top 24. When she was told that she would be advancing, she kissed all three judges on the lips.

During top 24 week, McPhee performed "Since I Fell for You" by Ella Johnson. During top 20 week, she performed "All in Love Is Fair" by Stevie Wonder. During top 16 week, she performed "Think" by Aretha Franklin. During top 12 week, she performed "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" by Stevie Wonder. During top 11 week, she performed "Come Rain or Come Shine" by Sy Oliver (with the Tommy Dorsey orchestra). During top 10 week, she performed "The Voice Within" by Christina Aguilera. She was in the bottom 2 with Ace Young and Lisa Tucker who got eliminated that week. During top 9 week, she performed "Bringing Out the Elvis" by Faith Hill. During top 8 week, she performed "Who Wants to Live Forever" by the British rock band called Queen. During top 7 week, she performed "Someone to Watch Over Me" by Gertrude Lawrence. During top 6 week, She performed "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston. She was in that week's top 2 with Chris Daughtry. The inclusion of producer David Foster and Andrea Bocelli as guest mentors for Top 6 Week turned out to be a fortuitous introduction for her, as she has worked on various music projects with both men after her stint on American Idol. During top 5 week, McPhee performed "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" by Phil Collins and "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall. During top 4 week, she performed "Hound Dog" / "All Shook Up" by Big Mama Thornton and "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley. During top 3 week, she performed "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly by Clive Davis's choice, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland by Simon Cowell's choice, and "I Ain't Got Nothing But the Blues" by Duke Ellington by her own choice. During finale week, she did an encore of second top 5 performance, an encore of her second top 3 performance, and a would-be coronation song "My Destiny." She lost the finale to Taylor Hicks, thus finishing as the runner-up.

McPhee's stint on American Idol led to the use of the term "McPheever".

After her stint on American Idol, on June 6, 2006, Sony BMG and 19 Entertainment announced that McPhee had signed to American Idol series creator Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings Ltd. and Sony BMG's RCA Records.

McPhee's self-titled debut album, Katharine McPhee, was released on January 30, 2007 and sold 116,000 copies its first week, debuting at #2 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. The first single from the album was "Over It". , which was officially released on the same day as the album and peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second single, "Love Story" , was released on May 22, 2007, but it failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

McPhee recorded the song "Let Your Heart Sing" for the soundtrack CD of the Disney film Tinker Bell. The movie DVD and the soundtrack CD were released in October 2008.

In 2006, McPhee founded a charity called McPhee Outreach. The purpose of the charity is to team up with other foundations or organizations and help in any way possible.The foundation teamed up with The Lollipop Theater Network to provide music outreach (called "Rhythm of Hope") to sick children in Southern California hospitals.McPhee Outreach teamed up with Global Compassion Services to build a preschool in the poor West African nation of Burkina Faso to help combat that nation's high illiteracy rate. McPhee appeared on the Jan 19, 2010 episode of the NBC reality show The Biggest Loser, specifically its ninth season, in the show's Pound for Pound Challenge segment (an initiative to challenge viewers to get healthy while helping to fight hunger in their own communities). McPhee was shown volunteering at a Los Angeles food bank and meeting with children at a Boys and Girls Club and talking about the importance of helping to fight hunger in America. She was also shown singing part of her song Lifetime from her album Unbroken.

#93 Ace Young

2011-10-19T21:36:00.002-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Ace Young. He got 7th place on American Idol season 5. The Los Angeles Times ranked him at number 35 on their top 120 power rankings chart of May 31, 2010. He is of German and Irish descent. His music genres are pop, R&B, blue-eyed soul, and rock-and-roll.

Brett Asa "Ace" Young was born to Jay Young and Kay Whitney on November 15, 1980. He hails from Denver, Colorado. He is the youngest of five boys, with his older brothers being Josh, Duff, Marc, and Ryan. He was named after his maternal great-grandfather Asa and after baseball player George Brett. His family called him Ace since his childhood and did not know his legal name until the age of six. He has been singing since the age of nine. He took voice lessons and performed at local shopping and recreational venues during his adolescence. He performed at various venues in Colorado and other western states, most notably at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. During his school age, he participated in athletics, choir, and International Baccalaureate classes.

After graduating from Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado, in 1999, Young opened for R&B acts Brian McKnight (one of my favorite R&B soloists) and my favorite band New Edition. He performed The Star Spangled Banner at the Denver Nuggets games. His first published song, "Reason I Live" was featured in the 2000 New Line Cinema film The Little Vampire, which stars Jonathan Lipnicki, Richard E. Grant, Jim Carter, and Alice Krige, and directed by Uli Edel.

Young relocated to Los Angeles, California, in 2003, where he initially worked as a salesman and in home renovation. During this time, he guest-starred in an episode of the American sitcom Half & Half, which aired on UPN from September 23, 2002, to May 15, 2006, playing a character named Ace Blackwell.

Donning a tuque beanie, Young auditioned for American Idol season 5 in Denver, Colorado, singing "Swear It Again" by Westlife, and he was unanimous put through to the Hollywood round. Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul approved of his entry, with Jackson noting that Young was one of the best singers he had seen audition. Simon Cowell disagreed with Jackson and Abdul but also approved of Young, with a slight "Yes." He was introduced as Brett Young, with the name 'Ace' marked in quotations. Later, he told them he preferred to be called Ace, and the quotes were removed from his credits. During top 24 week, Young performed "Father Figure" by George Michael. During top 20 week, he performed "If You're Not the One" by Natasha Bedingfield. During top 16 week, he performed "Butterflies" by Michael Jackson. During top 12 week, he performed "Do I Do" by Stevie Wonder, but he was placed in the bottom 3 with Lisa Tucker and my number 101 American Idol finalist Melissa McGhee who got eliminated that week. During top 11 week, he performed "In the Still of the Night" by the doo-wop band The Five Satins, which was formed in 1954. During top 10 week, he performed "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" by the rock band called Train, which was formed in 1994. He was placed in the bottom 3 with Katharine McPhee and Lisa Tucker, who was eliminated that week. During top 9 week, he performed "Tonight I Wanna Cry" by Keith Urban. He received fairly positive feedback from the judges . Jackson said it was living proof that Young was single, and Abdul said the song was perfect for his range and that he sang an adequate rendition of a contemporary country music hit. Cowell thought Young had made a good song choice. Kenny Rogers also gave him very positive reviews, and later Young said he got the best advice from Rogers, During top 8 week, he performed "We Will Rock You" by the British rock band called Queen, which was formed in London in 1971. He was in the bottom 3 with Elliott Yamin (my season 5 favorite) and Bucky Covington who got eliminated that week. During top 7 week, he performed "That's All" by Nat King Cole. For this performance, Young had his hair tied back and was dressed up in a McQueen designer suit. Jackson commented that Young stumbled in the middle, but did well overall. Abdul commented that she liked the "new Ace" and called it "a magical night." Cowell said "it wasn't bad," but while he said the middle was a bit nasally, he called the performance "charming." The following night Young was placed in the bottom 3 with Chris Daughtry and Daughtry Bennett and was eliminated, finishing in 7th place.

After his stint on American Idol, Young performed as a guest on Total Request Live. He has also appeared at the grand opening of The Camden House of Beverly Hills (an event showcasing rising stars under the age of thirty), was invited to attend the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association dinner, sang the U.S. national anthem at a summer Colorado Crush game and hosted a solo concert at the Pepsi Center. Young continues to perform at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. He was named one of People magazine's "Hottest Bachelors" on June 16, 2006.

On October 20, 2006, he released his first single "Scattered," with help from friend Elvio Fernandes, a musician in Rochester, NY., as a digital download on iTunes Store. He helped write the chorus to Daughtry's debut single "It's Not Over", from the album Daughtry.

Young appeared and sang on the 2006 Walt Disney Christmas Day Parade alongside fellow American Idol season 5 finalists Paris Bennett, Kevin Covais, and Mandisa.

On December 6, 2007, the 50th Annual Grammy Award nominations were announced and Young was nominated for Best Rock Song, alongside Gregg Wattenburg, Mark Wilkerson, and fellow American Idol season 5 finalist Chris Daughtry, for his songwriting credit in Daughtry's self-titled debut album lead single "It's Not Over." He lost the award to Bruce Springsteen's "Radio Nowhere."

In January 2008, Young was named a Celebrity Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), where he spent time assisting the charity with events and raising awareness for neuromuscular diseases. On April 15, 2008, Young released his second single, "Addicted", as a digital download on iTunes and Amazon. On May 12, 2008 he appeared on FOX's hit scripted crime drama show Bones, which premiered on FOX on September 15, 2005, and created by Hart Hanson, alongside American Idol season 6 finalist Brandon Rogers. He played the part of a karaoke singer who ends up murdered and sang Nickelback's "Far Away".

Young appeared on TNA Impact on Thursday May 29, and debuted a new version of his "Addicted" music video, and also came out ringside with So Cal Val to support Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt in their match.

Young most recently starred as Berger in the West End Broadway revival of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. He succeeded Tony Award nominee Will Swenson beginning March 9, 2010 and remained with the production till its closure on June 27, 2010.

On April 18, 2011, Young was featured on a song titled "Picture Me" on British rapper Chipmunk's sophomore album "Transition", which was released in Great Britain on April 15, 2011. Young's vocals are present during the chorus and bridge of the track.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 92 American Idol finalist. She is of Irish, Scottish, and German descent. Her father is a TV producer. Her mother, known by the stage name of Peisha Arten, is a vocal coach and accomplished cabaret singer. Before her stint on American Idol, she struggled with eating disorders. During her stint on American Idol, she lost 30 pounds due to a better diet as part of her treatment. She is married to man 19 years her senior. She sang "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly on top 3 week. She auditioned in San Francisco, California, with the song "God Bless the Child" by Billie Holiday. She was involved in the 2010 remake of the 1985 charity song "We Are the World" alongside 75 other aritsts, including fellow American Idol finalists Jennifer Hudson from season 3 and Jordin Sparks from season 6, and American Idol judge Randy Jackson. She was ranked at number 14 by The Los Angeles Times power rankings chart of May 31, 2010.

#94 Josh Gracin

2011-10-12T18:48:00.001-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 94 favorite American Idol finalist Josh Gracin. He got 4th place on American Idol season 2. I believe he is vocally inferior to the finalist eliminated before him. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 2000 to 2004. His military rank was Lance Corporal. He was a member of the 1st Maintenance Battallion. He first received public attention when he competed on American Idol season 2. His music genre is country. His favorite song is "Not Just Me" by Rascal Flatts. He is ranked at number 41 on the Los Angeles Times American Idol power rankings chart of May 31, 2010.

Joshua Mario "Josh" Gracin was born to Mario and Brenda Gracin on October 18, 1980. He was raised in Westland, Michigan. He grew up in a predominately female family. He grew up listening to Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and old school rock and pop on his favorite local radio station. When he was 11 years old, the station changed switched to country music, and he began to listen into artists like Garth Brooks, Joe Diffie, George Strait, and Randy Travis who immediately caught his interest. “There’s not another genre that better reflects situations in my life,” he said. His vocal debut was in an Easter musical presented by his local church. . His first public appearance was at an eighth grade talent competition where he sang Brooks' 1993 hit "Standing Outside the Fire" and easily won over an audience full of more traditional dance music-loving cohorts.

Later in various school productions and talent shows, Gracin auditioned for and won a national pop orchestra and vocal competition, known as the Fairlane Youth Pops Orchestra, as the only male and just a sophomore in high school. During his time at John Glenn High School (part of the Wayne-Westland Community Schools district), which opened in 1964 and named after astronaut John Glenn, he performed at state festivals, fairs and pageants throughout the State of Michigan. At the age of 16, he performed on stage at the Grand Ole Opry house in a national talent and recorded a demo CD in Nashville, Tennessee. After his time at John Glenn High School in Westland, Michigan, he attended Western Michigan University before he joined the United States Marine Corps. After basic training, he came home and married, and eventually became a supply clerk at Camp Pendleton outside of San Diego, California.

Gracin auditioned for American Idol season 2 in Los Angeles, California with the song "All or Nothing" by O-Town. During his stint on the show, he was residing in Oceanside, California, where he was stationed while serving in the United States Marine Corps. He was voted into the finals alongside Corey Clark after performing "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain. On top 12 week, he performed "Baby I Need Your Loving" by The Four Tops. On top 11 week, he performed "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith (the band featuring American Idol judge Steven Tyler), featured on the 1998 film Armageddon. On top 10 week, he performed "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up) by Garth Brooks, who influenced him into country music. On top 9 week, he performed "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang. On top 8 week, he performed "Piano Man" by Billy Joel. On top 7 week, he performed "That's When I'll Stop Loving You" by *NSYNC. He was in the bottom 3 week with Carmen Rasmusen who got eliminated that week, and Trenyce who was eliminated the following week. On top 5 week, he performed "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" by Don Cherry and "Bad Blood" by Neil Sedaka. After performed the two Bee Gees songs, "Jive Talkin'" and "To Love Somebody", he was eliminated from the show, leaving behind Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, and Kimberley Locke. Due to his prior commitment to the United States Marine Corps, he was unable to participate in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2003. He was instead sent on a one-year recruitng tour, making appearances at special events around the United States to promote the United States Marine Corps.

After his stint on the show, Gracin completed his service in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged and signed to Lyric Street Records, which is now defunct. He and his wife Ann Marie (wed in 2001) relocated to Tennessee to pursue is music career. They have a son named Landon Joshua Gracin, who was born on August 4, 2005, and three daughters named Briana Marie Gracin, who was born on March 30, 2002; Gabriella Ann Gracin, who was born on November 15, 2006; and Isabella Sophia Gracin, who was born on November 12, 2008. For all the fame he got, Gracin remains a down-to-earth man. He does not see himself as a celebrity. He is timid and not too self-confident. He feels like a normal man who is very approchable. If he gets a little carried away, he has Ann Marie to keep him humble and bring him back down to earth. He is no longer some youth with a dream. He is a father and a husband and this has turned into an accomplishment and an experience that is going to help him raise his children and show them what is possible.

Gracin's self-titled debut album was published on June 15, 2004, and was RIAA certified gold. The album's first three singles ("I Want to Live", "Nothin' to Lose", and "Stay with Me" [Brass Bed]), all reached Top 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, ith "Nothin' to Lose", the middle of those three, peaking at number one.

His sophomore album, We Weren't Crazy, was published on April 1, 2008. It was originally slated to be titled All About Y'all and later I Keep Coming Back. It was officially titled after its third single "We Weren't Crazy", which entered the country music charts in October 2007. For the chart week dated August 2, 2008 (40 weeks after it debuted on the charts), the song peaked at number 10. A fourth single, "Unbelievable (Ann Marie)", was released to country radio on August 25, 2008. Gracin wrote that song about his wife Ann Marie. His fifth and last single was "Telluride", which was originally recorded by Tim McGraw on his 2001 album Set This Circus Down. After that, Gracin lost his deal with Lyric Street Records.

Under the record label Average Joe's Entertainment, his third album Redemption is scheduled to be published on November 1, 2011. His first single under that label is "Cover Girl", released in August 2010. The album's second single, "Long Way to Go", is his first single to chart on the adult contemporary chart.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 93 American Idol finalist. He is of Irish and German descent. He was raised in Denver, Colorado. After his high school graduation, he opened for Brian McKnight and New Edition and performed the U.S. national anthem at the Denver Nuggets games. His first published song, "Reason I Live" was featured in the 2000 film The Little Vampire. He auditioned for American Idol in Denver wearing a tuque beanie and performed "Swear It Again" by Westlife. He was ranked at number 35 on the Los Angeles Times power rankings list of May 31, 2010.

#95 Bo Bice

2011-10-06T23:56:00.004-04:00

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 95 American Idol finalist Bo Bice. He is the runner-up of American Idol season 4. He lost the finale to Carrie Underwood. He recorded three studio albums, including one on RCA Records. In 2005, he was placed at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with a rendition of "Inside Your Heaven", which was normally performed by Carrie Underwood. On May 31, 2010, The Los Angeles Times ranked him at number 17 on the American Idol power rankings list, which has 120 entries. I do not like him as much as the rest of his season's top 12. I believe that Vonzell Solomon should have made the finale in his place.

Harold Elwin "Bo" Bice, Jr. was born to Nancy and Harold Elwin Bice, Sr., in Huntsville, Alabama, on November 1, 1975. He came from a musical family. His mother was a Christian singer, as were his grandmother, great-grandmother, and aunts. His father and his third cousin, Tanner Gell, are guitarists. His third cousin Tristen Gell is a singer.

As a newborn, he was nicknamed "Bogart" by his grandmother "Granny Madge", because she thought he had "Humphery Bogart" eyes. His parents continued to call him Bogart, but he abbreviated it to "Bo" during his time in kindergarten, because he thought "Bogart" was rather unpleasant.

Bice's parents divorced during his childhood, and his mother married another man years later. He was raised by his mother Nancy and his stepfather Earle Downes (a Coca-Cola manager), stepsisters Jenny and Sharan Downes, and halfbrother John Cohran. Bice has two other half-siblings, Candace and Matthew, on his biological father's side. The Downes family relocated around the South on a regular basis. They resided in the states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, including the metropolitan area of Atlanta. When Bice was 14, they relocated to Great Britain as part of his stepfather's assignment with Coca-Cola in London, England. Bice spent his teenage years residing in Gerrards Cross.

Bice attended London Central High School, a Department of Defense school that educates mainly children whose parents served in the U.S. military or worked at the U.S. Embassy. During his time in high school, he was found holding his guitar everywhere across the campus, played football, attended promenades, and had several significant others. It was around this time when he worked with some British alternative rock artists. He formed his first band, Spinning Jenny, during his time in London, England.

Bice would have been a member of the London Central High School class of 1994, but he dropped out during his senior year to relocate to the United States, where he earned his GED and attended Calhoun Community College for one year. When he withdrew from Calhoun Community College and spent a semester at the University of Alabama in Florence, Alabama, he went professional and performed in shows across the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, and Europe. He is a nightclub circuit veteran and an experience songwriter, releasing his first CD in 1995 as a member of the band called Purge. His other bands before his stint on American Idol include Blue Sued Nickel and SugerMoney. He was the opening act for Blackfoot and Warrant as well as performing live and recording with Johnny Neal, formerly of The Allman Brothers Band. Bice had recorded other albums prior to his stint on American Idol, which included "Ex Gratia" (1999) with his band Purge, and "Recipe for Flavor" (2000) with SugarMoney.

Bice has a pre-Idol rap sheet. Four years before his stint on American Idol, he had his first encounter with the law, where he was arrested for buying cocaine at a strip club. Two years later, he was arrested for possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and public intoxication. He avoided incarceration by entering a drug rehabilitation program.

For the fourth season of American Idol, the producers raised their upper age limit from 24 to 28. In August 2004, Bice’s mother and several other family members encouraged him to go try out, since he was within the eligible age limit (he would turn 29 in November 2004). He asked his mother to come along, and she took him up on that dare. He auditioned with the songs "In a Dream" by Badlands, and "Whipping Post" by The Allman Brothers Band. He is one of the oldest American Idol finalists ever, alongside season 4 finalist Constantine Maroulis and season 5 winner Taylor Hicks. Bice and Maroulis were among the first contestants to compete using the rock-and-roll genre.

Bice is a Southern rocker in musical approach and appearance, but he did not fit the traditional American Idol mold. His early performance of "Whipping Post" by The Allman Brothers Band drew positive feedback from the judges and established him as one of the favorites in the competition.

During top 3 performance show, Bice took the risk of performing a cappella with the obscure song "In a Dream" by Badlands. That risk paid off, with guest judge Clive Davis speaking of looking forward to making a CD with Bice.

In June 2005, according to the Rolling Stones magazine, Bice's last thought during the American Idol finale was, "Please, God, don't let me win this thing." In comments during a subsequent appearance on The Today Show he backed off this stance somewhat stating that he thanked all those who had voted for him. He then played solo acoustic guitar and harmonica to one of his own compositions, in addition to singing his American Idol songs with a band.

In Alabama, May 24 was declared "Bo Bice Day" by Governor Bob Riley, the 52nd Governor of Alabama, who was in office from January 20, 2003, to January 17, 2001, and who was gubernatorially preceded by Don Siegelman and recently succeeded by Robert Bentley. In fact, Bice's pride in being an Alabama native resulted in the adoption of "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd as his "theme" during his tenure on American Idol. Two members of the group Lynyrd Skynyrd surprised Bice during his trip home from Idol and performed "Sweet Home Alabama" with him in his home town of Helena, Alabama.

Bice started last year with an acoustic tour to introduce some newly-written songs that he was recording for his third album. Bice's Sugar Money record label cooperated with Time-Life for the album which was called 3, which was officially released on Saguaro Road Records on May 18, 2010. The album features a duet with American Idol season 6 finalist Melinda Doolittle.

On October 12, 2010, Bice guest starred on the syndicated version of the game show Don't Forget the Lyrics!, hosted by Mark McGrath, and won the $50,000 grand prize on behalf of his charity, MusiCares. He was the first celebrity contestant to win the grand prize by correctly singing the lyrics to all the songs in his round.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown, which ends on the day of the premiere of American Idol season 11, is my number 94 American Idol finalist. He grew up in a predominately female family. Because of his prior commitment to the Marine Corps, he was unable to participate in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2003. Instead, he was sent on a year tour as a recruiting tool, making appearances at special events around the United States to promote the United States Marine Corps. After completing his fourth year of service, he was honorably discharged in September 2004.

#96 Diana DeGarmo

2011-10-02T23:57:00.000-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Diano DeGarmo. She lost the finale to Fantasia Barrino on American Idol season 3 with a 2% margin. I have not known much about her. Her music genres are pop and country. She was an early favorite of American Idol season 3. On May 31, 2010, the Los Angeles Times ranked her at number 24 on the ultimate American Idol power rankings list.

Diana Nicole DeGarmo was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on June 16, 1987. She was raised mainly in Snellville, Georgia. She attended Crews Middle School. She was a junior at Shiloh High School in Snellville, Georgia, at the time of her stint on American Idol. She began to sing publicly during her childhood, including the 1997 Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards and in broadway productions of Annie and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in Atlanta, Georgia. When she was in the third grade, she was a Coca-Cola kid during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1997, she sang at Opryland USA, the amusement which opened on May 27, 1972, but closed on December 31, 1997, and was replaced with a shopping mall, during the Christmas holiday season. Opryland's former site was flooded during the last days of American Idol season 9. In 2002, before the inception of American Idol, DeGarmo was named Miss Teen Georgia and was a finalist on the NBC talent competition show called America's Most Talented Kid. At the age of ten, she was a member of Cartoon Network's Cartoon Gang and appeared on various segments for the network, discussing cartoons. She also appeared in various telefilms during her childhood. DeGarmo is a niece of Eddie DeGarmo of DeGarmo & Key, a Christian rock band that started professional in 1978.

DeGarmo auditioned for American Idol season 3 in Atlanta, Georgia. She finished in second place after a tight race against winner Fantasia Barrino, and also in her semifinal group was Jennifer Hudson, who advanced via Wild Card. She was known for her ability to perform songs easily at such an early age. She started off as the first contestant to take the stage in the semifinals, performing "I've Got the Music in Me" by Kiki Dee, and she was the second to be voted into the semifinals, after eventual winner Fantasia Barrino. However, DeGarmo landed in the bottom 3 during top 11, top 9, and top 8 weeks, although she was the first of the bottom 3 on all three occasions to be cleared for another week in the competition. Ironically, she never landed in the bottom 2, despite being the third lowest vote getter three times. On top 12 week, she performed "Think" by Aretha Franklin. On top 11 week, she performed "A Broken Wing" by Martina McBride and landed in the bottom 3 with the second lowest vote-getter Camile Velasco and the eliminated finalist Matthew Rogers, whom I ranked at number 109. On top 10 week, she performed "Do You Love Me" by The Contours. On top 9 week, she performed "I'm Still Standing" by Elton John, which would later be performed by Naima Adedapo on American Idol season 10. That week, she was in the bottom 3 with the second lowest vote getter Jasmine Trias and Camile Velasco who got eliminated that night. On top 8 week, she performed "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion from the 1997 film Titanic. Once again she landed in the bottom 3, this time with the second lowest vote getter John Stevens and the eliminated finalist Jon Peter Lewis.

After top 8 week, DeGarmo never landed in the bottom 3 again, and she went from zero to hero. On top 7 week, she performed "One Voice" by Barry Manilow. On top 6 week, she performed "Turn the Beat the Around" by Vicky Sue Robinson. On top 5 week, she performed "Someone to Watch Over Me" by Gertrude Lawrence and "Get Happy" by Ruth Etting. On top 4 week, she performed "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton and "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" by Donna Summer and Barbara Streisand. On top 3, she elected to perform "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell. Then the judges had her perform "Because You Love Me" by Celine Dion. Then Clive Davis had her perform "Don't Cry Out Loud" by The Moments. On top 2 week, DeGarmo performed the winner's singer "I Believe". The she did an encore of her second top 4 week performance and an encore of her last top 3 performance. By a 2% margin, she lost the finale to Fantasia Barrino.

Soon after her stint on American Idol, DeGarmo was signed to RCA Records/19 Records, and she released the single "Dreams", on June 29, 2004. The song was co-written by Chris Braide, who also co-wrote "This Is the Night" for the previous season's American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken. It includes two other songs: her version of "I Believe", written by American Idol season 1 finalist Tamyra Gray, and a cover of "Don't Cry Out Loud", originally recorded by Melissa Manchester. She participated in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2004 alongside the rest of her season's top 10, which included a show held in Singapore in October 2004.

DeGarmo's debut album, titled Blue Skies, was released on December 7, 2004, to opening week sales of 47,000. The album debuted at #52 on the Billboard chart. The album had sold 168,000 copies as of October 2008. Her single "Emotional"--again co-written by Chris Braide, Desmond Child and Andreas Carlsson—peaked at #54 on the Mediabase Pop Chart. In 2005, she toured independently to promote her debut album and was featured on the soundtrack for the Disney film Ice Princess, recording "Reaching for Heaven", written by Desmond Child. RCA dropped her from her recording contract in June 2005.

DeGarmo began recording a pop/R&B album in 2007,however she backed out of the project after it took a detour she did not want to take. After appearing on the first season of CMT's (Country Music Television) Gone Country in late 2007, she elected to return to her country roots and relocated to Nashville, Tennessee. Mikalah Gordon from American Idol season 4 appeared on the second season of that show and Justin Guarini from American Idol season 1 appeared on the third season of the show. She signed to John Rich's production company and recorded a country demo with him in 2008. In early 2009, DeGarmo released an acoustic EP entitled "Unplugged in Nashville". The EP contains 4 songs co-written by DeGarmo and is currently available at her live shows and at online retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, etc. One of the songs, "Thank You", can be streamed from DeGarmo's MySpace page. The EP serves as a taste of what is to come from DeGarmo on her second full length album. DeGarmo continues to co-write and perform new songs at live shows in and around the Nashville area. In October 2010, DeGarmo released two new songs titled "Things That Drive a Girl Crazy" and "All Over Again".

DeGarmo is a proud supporter of US troops and participated in a USO tour in December 2005-January 2006. She entertained troops in Southwest Asia on a tour hosted by General Peter Pace. Her song "Thank You" is inspired by this trip. She also supports and performs in fundraisers for a number of charitable organizations both nationally and locally, including Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. In late 2007 and during the time of American Idol season 7, she participated as a Southern celebrity in television advertisements for the Zaxby's restaurant chain. She also appeared as a guest voice on the "Fairy Idol" episode of The Fairly OddParents as Cosmo after Cosmo watches "How to Sing Like Diana DeGarmo".

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 95 American Idol finalist. He was born in the town where Paul McDonald was raised. His parents divorced when he was very young, and his mother remarried years later. He was raised by his mother and stepfather. On May 31, 2010, the Los Angeles Times ranked him at number 17 on the ultimate American Idol power rankings list. He was the first celebrity to win the grand prize on the syndicated version of Don't Forget the Lyrics!. He donated the winnings to his charity, MusicCares. His third studio album is simply called "3".

#97 Haley Reinhart

2011-09-30T23:30:00.003-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 97 favorite American Idol finalist Haley Reinhart. She finished in third place on American Idol season 10. She is currently signed to Interscope Records.

Haley Reinhart was born to Patti Miller-Reinhart and Harry Reinhart in Wheeling, Illinois, on September 9, 1990. Both of her parents are musicians. She started singing at the age of 8, and she performed with her parents' band, called Midnight, which covers rock songs from the 1960s and 1970s. She attended Mark Twain Elementary School, O.W. Holmes Middle School, and Wheeling High School. After graduating from high school in 2009, Reinhart attended Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, in 2009 and 2010, where she studied music. She performed at the 2009 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland with her high school's jazz band and at Harper College with the college's Jazz Ensemble and the Jazz Lab. Her younger sister is named Angela.

Reinhart originally auditioned for American Idol season 9 in Chicago, Illinois, but she did not advance to the Hollywood Round. However, with the song "Oh! Darling" by The Beatles, she returned for American Idol season 10 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and this time she advanced to the Hollywood Round.

In the second Hollywood Round, her groupmates included fellow finalist Paul McDonald, whom I have ranked at number 105 on my American Idol finalist chart. Later in the third Hollywood Round, she performed "God Bless the Child" by Billie Holiday, impressing the judges. In the Vegas Round, she performed The Beatles' song "The Long and Winding Road" with fellow finalists Naima Adedapo and my season 10 favorite Jacob Lusk, who also performed "God Bless the Child" in the same round as Reinhart, impressing the judges more strongly than Reinhart did. During the Sing for Your Life Round, she performed "Baby It's You" by The Shirelles. During semifinal sudden death week, she performed "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys and was voted into the top 13, but I think Ta-Tynisa Wilson should have been voted through instead.

Reinhart received notable musician and celebrity support from British rocker and songwriter Robert Plant, pop star Lady Gaga, British songwriter Jimmy Page, American Idol season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert, actor Tom Hanks, American Idol season 6 finalists Blake Lewis and Melinda Doolittle, American Idol season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson, American Idol season 8 winner Kris Allen, and talk show host and former American Idol judge Ellen DeGeneres and others who picked Reinhart as their season 10 favorite. Robert Plant and Jimmy Page contacted Idol producers and offered Reinhart the opportunity to sing a Led Zeppelin song for top 3 week.

She is the only contestant from season 10 that has over one million views on four of her Youtube performance videos: her renditions of "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele, "Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John, and "I (Who Have Nothing)" by Ben E. King. Every video reached the million views in less than a month. Her version of "Rolling in the Deep" reached over 2.3 million views before it was taken down, and her version of "The House of the Rising Sun" received one million views as of July 13, 2011.

She's also the only contestant this season that received 3 standing ovations from the judges, 3 weeks in a row, after performing The Animals' version of the folk song "The House of the Rising Sun", "I (Who Have Nothing)" by Ben E. King, and "What Is and What Should Never Be" by Led Zeppelin. Her duet of "Moanin" with fellow finalist Casey Abrams also received standing ovation from the judges, and was considered one of the best duets, and performances, of the season. She was eliminated at third place, leaving a finale between Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina. After her stint on American Idol, on June 2, 2011, Reinhart was interviewed on Live With Regis and Kelly. She performed "House of The Rising Sun" on the show.

Reinhart is currently being managed by Red Light Management, alongside fellow season 10 finalists Pia Toscano and James Durbin. She participated in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011 alongside the rest of the top 11. On July 26, 2011, it was confirmed that Reinhart was signed to Interscope Records. Reinhart will release her debut album through Interscope Records. Reinhart stated that "she will not work on her album until after the Idols Live Tour 2011 is finished, this way, she can truly focus on her material and make the album her best work possible."

On August 16, 2011, Reinhart was an artist featured in the Huffington Post's article entitled "15 New, Young Artists On The Rise".

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 96 American Idol finalist. She is the daughter of a Hispanic father and a Caucasian mother. She lost to Fantasia Barrino in the finale of American Idol season 3 by a 2% margin. She was a junior at Shiloh High School in Snellville, Georgia. She was known for her ability to perform songs with ease at such a young age. On September 12, 2011 it was announced that she will join the cast of the popular CBS soap The Young and The Restless.

#98 Ryan Starr

2011-09-30T23:00:00.001-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown, from my least favorite to my most favorite, is my number 98 favorite American Idol finalist Ryan Starr. She got seventh place on American Idol season 1. Since her stint on American Idol, she has appeared in number films and on both reality and scripted television shows. She was formerly signed to RCA Records, but she is now signed to Nightbird Records.

Starr was born Tiffany Ryan Montgomery on November 21, 1982. She was born into a middle class family in Sunland, Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of a Caucasian father and a Peruvian mother. She had a shady childhood. She cut ties with most of her immediate family.

She auditioned for American Idol season 1 as Ryan Montgomery, with the songs "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers and "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys. According to Simon Cowell's memoir I Don't Mean to be Rude, she was "crippling shy" during the audition, but "Paula Abdul saw some potential for stardom in her, and decided to mentor her." As a result, as Cowell claimed, Ryan Montgomery became too confident, and upon advancement to the Hollywood, she changed her name to Ryan Starr. Since then, she dressed in flamboyant homemade attire, and insisted on singing rock-and-roll rather than the pop music the judges felt that she was suited for.

During the semifinal round, instead of the usual pop songs the other contestants of season 1 were performing, Starr opted to perform an unusual song "The Frim Fram Sauce", which was made famous by The Nat King Cole Trio, and she was voted into the top 10 from the first semifinal group, alongside Jim Verraros and my season 1 favorite Tamyra Gray. On top 10 week, Starr was the first to perform on American Idol's first live show. She performed "If You Really Love Me" by Stevie Wonder, and received praise from the judges, including the quote from Cowell, "Pure star performance, loved it." She would later perform it on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2002. She had a setback on top 8 week performing "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks and was critiqued by the judges. Cowell called the performance "dreadful." She was in the bottom 3 with Christina Christian and A.J. Gil who was eliminated that week. On top 7 week, Starr performed "Last Dance" by Donna Summer and received positive feedback from the judges, but ironically she was eliminated to seventh place. She was in the bottom 3 with Nikki McKibbin and Justin Guarini. During the finale, Starr performed "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra. Then she went on a 32-city nationwide tour with the rest of the top 10.

Shortly after her stint on American Idol, Starr made a guest appearance on the FOX network scripted television show That '70s Show, and had a guest role in the CBS scripted television show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. She had the lead role in the 2004 direct-to-video film Ring of Darkness, where she portrayed the lead role of Stacy.

Starr blamed her stalled music career on a two-year restrictive record deal with RCA Records. Under this contract, she refused to record a pop album, claiming that the producers wanted to make her musically resemble Avril Lavigne. After a bitter three year battle, she was dropped from RCA Records in 2005.

Upon her exit from RCA Records, Starr released an independent iTunes single "My Religion." The song went all the way to the top of the US Billboard Hot Digital Songs Chart, and was noted in the 2005 edition of Guinness Book of World Records to have sold the most exclusive single downloads in iTunes history. They also went on to detail the fact that My Religion was slated to be released to stores in early 2006, however, iTunes refused to release Ryan Starr's single from contract.

In an interview given to the Today Show during the time of American Idol season 6, Starr revealed that iTunes ad expressed interest in Starr releasing another exclusive single to follow up the immense success of "My Religion." Starr claimed that she was reluctant to accept as she wished to release a full album, but hinted she had accepted the very lucrative offer put forth by iTunes. Rumors began to circulate that 'Stranded' would be the next exclusive single when images of a single cover were released on her MySpace account.

Rumor had it that Starr rejected a three-year record deal with the British record company Sanctuary Records Group Limited, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group founded in 1979. The deal was rumored to require her to record two pop albums before being allowed to record her rock album. These rumors were later dismissed by her.

Starr revealed to MTV that she had formed a band called Aces. The music pure rock, and both she and the band members are very excited with the material.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 97 American Idol finalist. She originally auditioned for American Idol season 9 but did not advance to the Hollywood round, but she returned for American Idol season 10 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and made it to Hollywood. Both of her parents are musicians. She is the only contestant of season 10 to receive standing ovation from the judges three weeks in a row. She performed "Steppin' Out with My Baby" with Tony Bennett, which also received standing ovation.

#99 Haley Scarnato

2011-09-28T22:56:00.002-04:00

Now out of the 100s, next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 99 finalist Haley Scarnato. She got eighth place on American Idol season 6. She announced in an interview in November 2009 that she canceled her album Strongheart after she left her management. However, she is working on her debut album. She was ranked at number 115 on The Los Angeles Times top 120 American Idol power rankings list of May 31, 2010. She is a fan of the San Antonio Spurs.

Haley Suzanne Scarnato was born to Rose and Anthony Scarnato in San Antonio, Texas, on June 15, 1982. She was a young gymnast between ages 5 and 15. She attended Jack C. Jordan Middle School. After her shoulders got dislocated, she moved onto other talents. Soon thereafter, she found her true love, talent, and passion, which are singing and music. She became a freelance singer, singing backup vocals with the Josephine Theatre, a local theater troupe, and singing in the band called The Oh So Good! Band, a llive wedding band in Texas. She attended William Howard Taft High School, named in honor of the 27th President of the United States, in San Antonio, Texas. She practices Christianity and prays before every performance.

Scarnato auditioned for American Idol season 6 in her hometown San Antonio, Texas, with the song "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt. Paula Abdul said that she had real nice control of her voice and said that it was lovely. Randy Jackson thought it was just okay and Simon Cowell agreed by saying "you look good, you sound, it's a bit cabaret". Both Simon and Randy did not think she had much originality, but all three of them agreed that she did have a good voice and decided to let her through to Hollywood. In the first Hollywood round, Scarnato performed "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" by Celine Dion and she well impressed Cowell with her vocal prowess. In the second Hollywood round, which is the group round, she performed with semifinalist Amy Krebs and two other female contestants. Cowell thought the group performance was good, but he said that was going to forget the rest of the group. Scarnato advanced to the top 40 and then to the top 24. On March 8, 2007, America voted Scarnato through to the top 12 over her roommate Sabrina Sloan. Scarnato tended to get mixed feedback from the judges and landed in the bottom 3 during the last three weeks of her time in the competition. During top 24 week, she performed "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" by Pandora's Box. During top 20 week, she performed "Queen of the Night" by Whitney Houston. During top 16 week, she sang "If My Heart Had Wings" by Faith Hill. Her performance in the finals (on top 12 week) is "Missing You" by Diana Ross. During top 11 week, she performed "Tell Him" by Billie Davis. During top 10 week, she performed "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper, and it was her first appearance in the bottom 3; she was in the bottom 3 with Phil Stacey and my number 110 American Idol finalist Chris Sligh, who was eliminated that week. During top 9 week, she performed "Ain't Misbehavin'" by Fats Waller. She was once again in the bottom 3, with Phil Stacey and Gina Glocksen who got eliminated that week. On April 11, 2007, after performing "Turn the Beat Around" by Gloria Estefan, she was eliminated from American Idol finishing in eighth place.

After her stint on American Idol, on May 12, 2007, Scarnato sang the U.S. National Anthem for game 3 of the NBA Western Conference Semifinals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns. On April 20, 2009, she sang the U.S. National Anthem once again for Game 2 for the NBA Western Conference First Round between the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks.

On the May 25, 2007, episode of Larry King Live, it was mentioned that Scarnato would marry her fiancé on January 5, 2008. However, on October 16, 2007, in an interview with MySanAntonio.com, she stated that they were not meant to be, thus broke up during the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2007.

Haley's now out of print EP of studio version of songs that she performed on American Idol was released on iTunes along with fellow American Idol season 6 contestants.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 98 finalist. She was born into a middle-class family in Sunland, Los Angeles, California, to a Caucasian father and a Peruvian mother on November 21, 1982. She starred in the 2004 direct-to-video film Ring of Darkness as the lead role of Stacy and in the 2006 film Vendetta as Brigitte Douglas. She also guest starred in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Sophia Renatta.

#100 AJ Gil

2011-09-25T23:59:00.004-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 100 American Idol finalist AJ Gil. He got 8th place on American Idol season 1. He was ranked at 91 in The Los Angeles Times American Idol power ranking list of May 31, 2010. He received the overnight recognition for auditioning for American Idol with his performance of the U.S. National Anthem ("The Star-Spangled Banner"), and he instantly began a Latin heartthrob. The pop singer became a favorite among many American Idol viewers around the world.

Abner Juda Gil was born to Martin and Teresa Gil in San Diego, California, on July 5, 1984. He is the fourth of ten children. He spent the first years of his childhood in Mexico, experiencing hardships and extreme poverty. His way of living and the limited musical resources did not discourage him from being a true musician. At the age of seven, he began to learn how to play music by practicing the guitar and learning percussion and then found interest in the piano. Today, he has mastered these instruments and incorporates them into his musical craft. His Spanish heritage and American roots are embedded in his music projects.

At the age of ten, Gil and his family relocated to Tacoma, Washington, where he spent the rest of his childhood. During his high school tenure, he was a member of the choir and participated in many talent shows. He entered into the “All State North West Choir” competition, where only one student from each city was chosen. He was successful and earned the only spot available in his city, and from there his talent began to flourish and mature. At the age of 17, his mother Teresa brought to his attention an audition that was being held for the highly anticipated first season of American Idol. He put his vocal prowess to the test and succeeded in doing so. His notable audition was his performance of the U.S. National Anthem. Simon Cowell dubbed Gil "a worthy contestant." After performing "All or Nothing" by O-Town, Gil advanced to the finals alongside his season's top 2. His musical styles and personality earned him eighth place on American Idol season 1, garnering over 500,000 votes. On the week of his elimination, he performed "How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You" by Marvin Gaye. He was in the bottom 3 with Christina Christian and Ryan Starr, who got eliminated after him.

After his stint on American Idol, he participated in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2002, where he performed "My Cherie Amour" by Stevie Wonder, which he performed on the show during top 10 week, and several group numbers. After the tour, he decided to take some time off to pursue his music career. He relocated to Los Angeles and attended a technical school for audio engineering. Gil is now a well-rounded artist. His musical and technical prowess has evolved, with the guitar as his primary instrument and the piano as his secondary instrument. He has evolved into a fully developed artist, songwriter, and producer. “A.J. is Latin-America’s best kept secret, a real find”, says a label representative. His songs are relationship supporting, dance floor enhancing, and cruise soothing. A.J.’s enhanced vocals, instrumental skills and creative writing abilities are the driving force in his new material.

Now, out of the 100s, next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 99 American Idol finalist. She auditioned for American Idol season 6 in her hometown, San Antonio, Texas. She sings in the band called The Oh So Good! Band. She attended a high school named after a U.S. President. She was ranked at number 115 on The Los Angeles American Idol top 120 power rankings list of May 31, 2010.

#101 Melissa McGhee

2011-09-25T13:21:00.001-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is at number 101 in my preference: Melissa McGhee from American Idol season 5, who got 12th place. Her music genre is pop country. Her favorite female artist is American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson. Her favorite male artist is Jason Mraz. Aside from singing, her other talent is dancing. She stole a spot in the top 12 from Ayla Brown.

Melissa Christine McGhee was born in Tampa, Florida, on September 14, 1984. She began to sing at the age of four. Both of her parents have a long rap sheet. Her father was arrested thirty times, and her mother was arrested twenty times. McGhee is the oldest of four children, and her younger sister Crystal Johnson is also a recording artist who is signed to Divercity Records under the stage name Lil' Crystal. Before her stint on American Idol, she participated in pageants, as did my number 1 American Idol finalist.

McGhee originally auditioned for American Idol season 2, but she did not advance to the callback audition round. She auditioned for American Idol season 5 in Denver, Colorado. She has family in Colorado, whom she stayed with during the audition rounds. She was able to advance to the callback audition round in which she auditioned in front of the judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell. She auditioned with the song "Can't Fight the Moonlight" by LeAnn Rimes. Although Cowell gave her a 6 out of 10, she was given a "Yes" by Jackson and Abdul, and was sent to Hollywood. During the group round, Simon declared her group the best group of the day. During the Green Mile round, the judges put her through to the top 24, competing for America's vote. McGhee was perceived as an underdog since she received no airtime prior to the voting rounds, a situation one other contestant face that season. During the semifinals, she garnered support from Jackson and Abdul, but Simon criticized her performances.

During top 24 week, she performed "When the Lights Go Down" by Faith Hill. During top 20 week, she performed "Why Haven't I Heard From You" by Reba McEntire. After she performed "What About Love" by the rock band called Heart, Simon predicted that she would be eliminated. America proved him wrong according to the results show, as a surprise to the viewers, McGhee was the final girl to advance to the top 12 over Ayla Brown. During top 12 week, alongside the rest of the top 12, McGhee met with Stevie Wonder, and she was embarrassed when she forgot the lyrics to his song "Lately", which would later be performed by Stefano Langone on American Idol season 10, in front of him. She did the same thing during the performance, flubbing a verse and singing the word "recognition" instead of the word "premonition" in the chorus. On the night of March 15, 2006, it was revealed that she garnered the lowest number of votes and she would the first finalist to be eliminated, thus finishing in 12th place. She was in the bottom 3 with Ace Young and Lisa Tucker. During the finale, she performed "I Made It Through the Rain" by Barry Manilow alongside the rest of the top 12 and season 4's winner Carrie Underwood, as well as a medley with the other girls of season 5. She also duetted with season 5's 7th placer Ace Young.

After her stint on American Idol, McGhee performed at various festivals like Weeki Wachee Springs and the Pet Rock Festival. She also toured with American Idol season 2's winner Ruben Studdard from October 3 to 7, 2006. She had vocal surgery but made full recovery. She also stars and sings in the new More TV 32 commercial singing "More, More, More". She also appeared at VH1's "Big in '06" alongside her American Idol season's runner-up Katharine McPhee. She appeared at The Nevada Ballet Honors Paula Abdul as 2007 Woman of the Year alongside some fellow American Idol alumni. She appeared on The Dr. Keith Ablow Show on February 9, 2006, discussing life after her stint on American Idol. Since then, she has performed at various concerts and festivals throughout the U.S. state of Florida. Because she wanted to find out who she is as an artist, she postponed her debut album, but she is now at the early stages of recording an album.

McGhee was featured on American Idol compilation album American Idol Season 5: Encores, where she was featured as recording a studio version of the song that got her eliminated.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 100 American Idol finalist. He auditioned for American Idol season 1 in Seattle, Washington, singing the U.S. National Anthem. He was ranked at number 91 on The Los Angeles Times American Idol power rankings list of May 31, 2010.

#102 EJay Day

2011-09-24T23:41:00.003-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 102 (or 102nd favorite) American Idol finalist EJay Day. He got 10th place on the first season of American Idol. Of the season 1 finalists, I prefer him over Jim Verraros and Nikki McKibbin. As of May 2010, EJay Day was ranked by Los Angeles Times at number 100 on their American Idol power rankings list.

Day was born in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on September 13, 1981. He is a day younger than American Idol season 3 finalist Jennifer Hudson.

Day was a last minute replacement in the American Idol season 1 semifinals for Delano Cagnolatti, who was disqualified for falsifying his age to escape American Idol's age cutoff, which was then 24 but now 28, since season 4. Cagnolatti stated that he was 23 years old, but he was actually 29 years old at the time of the auditions. Day was a member of the third semifinal group, and he performed "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain, which would later be performed by American Idol season 10 semifinalist Jovany Barreto. I think Barreto sung that song better than Day did. Day was voted into the top 10 alongside Nikki McKibbin and Christina Christian. However, he was the first finalist to be eliminated after performing "My Girl" by The Temptations. Later that night, Jim Verraros was eliminated, and Nikki McKibbin was also in the bottom 3.

After his stint on American Idol, Day participated in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2002 alongside the other season 1 finalists. He opened the tour concert with a performance of "Black Cat" by Janet Jackson. He also performed many times for WBA legend Muhammad Ali, who asked him to perform at his book-singing event and other receptions held in Ali's honor. He also performed in the 2003 Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California. During childhood, he was part of a church choir and did many performances including singing the U.S. National Anthem for professional sports teams based in the U.S. state of Georgia. Day co-wrote the song "Pure Love" on behalf of television actress and R&B, pop, and hip hop singer Raven-Symoné's sophomore album entitled Undeniable. He also performed aboard several of Royal Caribbean's cruise ships.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 101 American Idol finalist. She did not sing on camera until the voting rounds. She auditioned with the song "Can't Fight for the Moonlight" by LeAnn Rimes. She was ranked at number 114 on the Los Angeles Times American Idol power rankings list of May 31, 2010.

#103 John Stevens

2011-09-23T00:43:00.000-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist is John Stevens. He got 6th place on American Idol season 3. He is vocally inferior to Jennifer Hudson, who was eliminated before him. He was ranked at number 88 on the May 31, 2010, Los Angeles Times ultimate American Idol power rankings list.

John Bassat Stevens IV was born in Buffalo, New York, on July 28, 1987. He resides in East Amherst, New York. He attended Willamsville East High School and sang in a select jazz group.

Stevens auditioned for American Idol season 3 in New York City singing "That's Amore" by Dean Martin. Then the judges asked him to sing in his normal voice. He heeded the judges' advice and performed "The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra (which would later be performed by Michael Lynche on top 5 week of American Idol season 9) and he advanced to the Hollywood round.

Stevens was a member of the last semifinal group. With his performance of "She's Always a Woman" by Billy Joel, he got first place with America's vote among his semifinal group, garnering 28% of the vote. At the age of 16, he has been the youngest finalist of American Idol season 3.

Stevens is vocally compared to his favorite artist Frank Sinatra, who born in 1915 and died in 1998. He was nicknamed "Teen Martin" because of his Dean Martin impersonation and the ability to croon at such an early age. Stevens' musical style is not traditional American Idol fare, and that caused him to struggle with unfamiliar music genres during the competition.

During top 12 week, Stevens performed "Lately" by Stevie Wonder. During top 11 week, he performed "King of the Road" by Roger Miller. During top 10 week, he performed "My Girl" by The Temptations. During top 9 week, he performed "Crocodile Rock" by Elton John. During top 8 week, he performed "As Time Goes By" by Dooley Wilson and from the film Casablanca, but he was in the bottom 3 with season 3 runner-up Diana DeGarmo and my number 108 American Idol finalist Jon Peter Lewis who got elminated that week. During top 7 week, the week of Jennifer Hudson's elimination, Stevens performed "Mandy" by Barry Manilow. Top 6 week was "Latin week" as a tribute to Gloria Estefan. He performed "Music of My Heart" and Simon Cowell commented that Stevens was "taking every bullet thrown at you like a man." The next night, he was eliminated coming in 6th place despite receiving over four million votes.

Stevens was signed to Maverick Records and released his debut album called Red on June 28, 2005. It was produced by Steve Tyrell and executive produced by Canadian record producer David Foster. It features covers of The Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere" and Maroon 5's "This Love", both arranged in a relaxed jazz and lounge fashion. Its first week sales placed it into the top 10 of the Billboard jazz charts. As of March 2006, it sold 18,000 copies, and after that he parted ways with Maverick Records.

Stevens graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts in May 2009 and released a Christmas CD "Home for Christmas" on November 1, 2009. He currently sings with the Boston-based Beantown Swing Orchestra, focusing on big band arrangements originally performed by Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown, from my least favorite to my most favorite, is my number 102 American Idol finalist. He was the first finalist to be eliminated on American Idol season 1. He was a last minute replacement for Delano Cagnolati, who was disqualified for lied to escape American Idol's age cut off, which was then 24, but now 28.

#104 Jim Verraros

2011-09-21T00:44:00.000-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Jim Verraros. He got 9th place on American Idol season 1 in a double elimination with EJay Day. He is one of the most talked about American Idol contestants ever. He is signed to Koch Entertainment. He is not on the Los Angeles Times American Idol power rankings list of May 31, 2010.

James Conrad Verraros was born in Crystal Lake, Illinois, on February 8, 1983. Because he was raised by deaf parents, he is fluent in American Sign Language. He is the son of a father who is of Greek descent and a mother who is of German, Irish, French, and English descent. Verraros unexpectedly excelled in singing and acting at a very early age so much that the school's music teachers explained his talent to his parents who were unaware of his talent.

Verraros quickly became a celebrity in the American gay press due to a controversy that erupted when it was rumored that FOX forced him to remove his online journal that included a discussion of his homosexuality during summer 2002. However, he stated that "it wasn't because I was gay. It was because they thought I was trying to gain more votes and have that little extra edge." While Verraros was out to fellow American Idol contestants and Idol personnel, he did not mention his homosexual in the broadcast of American Idol season 1. Following the end of American Idol season 1, and the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2002, his homosexuality was revealed to the public in an article in the magazine The Advocate. On September 6, 2009, he joined in a civil union with Bill Brennan in a private ceremony in Illinois. The union was made legal on July 24, 2011, in New York City.

After his stint on American Idol, Verraros won the hearts of many fans across the United States when he participated in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2002, which played to sold out arenas in 30 venues across the United States. Verraros was also a contributing artist on the RIAA certified Gold "American Idol: Greatest Moments" compilation album alongside two-time Grammy Award winner and American Idol season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson.

Verraros released his freshman album Unsaid and Understood in 2004 through an independent record label, Red Queen Music—Sound Axis. It won the 2004 Outmusic Award for Outstanding New Recording – Debut Male. The album was revamped and picked up by Koch Records and retitled Rollercoaster in 2005. Verraros' mainstream debut album, which garnered several dance floor hits, including the Top 25 Billboard Hot Club/Dance Chart hit "You Turn It On." The album was produced and co-written by Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Gabe Lopez and features four songs co-written by American Idol semifinalist Angela Peel. The album had a limited release deal through Koch Records.

Verraros is an avid fan of the Chicago based professional sports team franchises.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 103 American Idol finalist. He is the youngest of season 3's top 12. He auditioned for season 3 in New York City with the song "The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra. He currently sings with the Beantown Swing Orchestra.

#105 Paul McDonald

2011-09-20T00:22:00.000-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 105 American Idol finalist Paul McDonald, the lead singer of The Grand Magnolias, originally known as Hightide Blues. He got 8th place on American Idol season 10. His music genres are folk, country, and rock and roll. He lived in Nashville, Tennessee, at the time of his stint on American Idol.

William Paul McDonald was born to David and Susan McDonald in Auburn, Alabama, on August 29, 1984. He was raised in Huntsville, Alabama. His father David was a clinical psychologist and his mother teaches occupational therapy at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. He is an alumnus of Huntsville High School, where he played as a wide receiver on the varsity football team. He participated in the school's play "The Wizard of Oz", directed by Mike Chappell.

In early 2005, McDonald and his fellow Auburn University student Jonathan Peers founded the Hightide Blues and began to write songs together. Joining them are Cragon Sims and Scott Rollins. They began to tour small clubs across the state of Alabama. In 2006, McDonald put his education on hiatus to pursue a full-time career as a recording artist. After a limited edition of their self-titled EP Hightide Blues in 2007, the band released a self-produced album, entitled Love Come Easy, which was a recorded in a recording studio that was formerly a boarding school. That recording studio was operated by David Briggs, and it was dubbed the House of David in Nashville, Tennessee. The album earned radio play from the songs "Dreamin' Alone" and "Let It Roll." The album also included a song called "Dancing with the Angels (Meg's Song)." McDonald wrote this song in memory of his late close friend Meg Ingram, who died of cancer at the age of 21. The band performs annually at the Meg Ingram Memorial Scholarship benefit concert in Huntsville, Alabama.

Hightide Blues has also been successful on the Internet, winning multiple awards on OurStage.com including 15 Top 10 placements, as well as reaching number 2 on Best of Pop for 2011. From 2007 to 2010, the band began to tour across the United States, performing with recording artists such as the Zac Brown band, Sara Bareilles, and JJ Grey and Mofro. Hightide Blues also played festivals such as the Bonnaroo Music Festival, the Florida Music Festival, the Hangout Festival, and the Lynyrd Skynyrd Simple Man Cruise. During those years, Hightide Blues ranged about 150 to 200 shows annually.

In middle 2010, Hightide Blues relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, and campaigned to have their fans choose a new name for the band. The fans dubbed the band The Grand Magnolias. The groups first album under their new name, entitled The Grand Magnolias, was published during the time of American Idol season 10. The songs were written by McDonald and fellow band member Jonathan Peers and produced by Dan Hannon and Ken Coomer. The album has seen a sales boost since McDonald's stint on American Idol, at it reached the #12 spot on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and has sold over 9,000 copies by April 27, 2011. However, iTunes deleted the album from its store for no reason and the sales dropped 60% from the previous week. One week later, iTunes put the album back into its store again for no reason.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 104 American Idol finalist. He got 9th place on American Idol season 1, and was eliminated in a double elimination alongside EJay Day.

#106 Kevin Covais

2011-09-19T00:06:00.001-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Kevin Covais. He got 11th place on American Idol season 5. He bears a striking resemblance to Chicken Little. He also starred in the film called College. His music genre is blue-eyed soul. He is not on the Los Angeles Times American Idol power rankings list of May 31, 2010.

Kevin Patrick Covais was born to John and Patty Covais in Levittown, New York on Long Island on May 30, 1989. His father John Covais is a retired sheriff officer. Like me, Kevin Covais is the youngest of three. He has a brother and a sister. At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and receives insulin injections like his fellow American Idol season 5 finalist Elliott Yamin.

Covais began to sing at the age of 10 and has taken formal vocal training for four years. He has stated that established R&B star Brian McKnight and American Idol season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson are his musical influences. In the future, he plans to pursue a career as a recording artist, an actor, and a journalist.

Covais was a junior at Island Trees High School during his stint on American Idol. He graduated at the end of the 2006-2007 school year. He attended Island Trees Middle School. He is a member of the Drama Club and has played the lead role in several school plays including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Godspell, and Guys and Dolls. He was also a member of the Metropolitan Youth Chorale and the National Honor Society. During the 2005-2006 school year, he won the lead in the school's musical, Anything Goes, but he had to leave for American Idol season 5. He also won some competitions outside academia, such as Eisenhower Park's Reach for the Stars in 2003. He is also a fan of several teams based on New York, such as the New York Yankees, the New York Knicks, the New York jets, and he has followed many other teams.

Covais auditioned for American Idol season 5 in Boston, Massachusetts. On top 24 week, he performed "One Last Cry" by Brian McKnight; that song was previously sung by Rickey Smith on American Idol season 2. On March 9, 2006, he was voted into the top 12. Covais sarcastically dubbed himself the show's "sex symbol", while fellow season 5 finalist Paris Bennett called him "Chicken Little" for his purported resemblance to the Disney character. Following one performance, Paula Abdul commented that she wanted to pinch Covais' cheeks. Ryan Seacrest sent him to where the female contestants were sitting, so that they could do so.

Covais made the top 12 over Gedeon McKinney, finishing second from last. He beat out Melissa McGhee to make it to the top 11. After performing "When I Fall in Love" by Doris Day, he was elminated getting 11th place on March 22, 2006. He was in the bottom three with Bucky Covington (my number 113 American Idol finalist) and Lisa Tucker.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 105 finalist. He is my least favorite finalist of American Idol season 10. He started his music career as a member of The Grand Magnolias. He was absent from the Providence, Rhode Island, iteration of the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011.

#107 Tim Urban

2011-09-18T03:27:00.001-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 107 American Idol finalist Tim Urban. He got 7th place on American Idol season 9, the most embarrassing season of the show. He stole a spot in the top 12 from Todrick Hall, possibly due to the "frau vote", or "tween and cougar vote." On November 10, 2010, he released his debut album and EP titled "Heart of Me." He is now working on his first LP to be released sometime this year. As of May 2010, he was ranked at number 90 by the Los Angeles on their American Idol power rankings list.

Timothy Joseph Urban was born in Tacoma, Washington, on May 1, 1989. He resided there until the age of 5, when he relocated to Duncanville, Texas. He has been singing and playing the guitar since the age of 13. He was homeschooled by his mother. He is the sixth of ten children and has two brothers serving in the U.S. military. His oldest brother was awaiting Air Force pilot training at the time of American Idol season 9. His second oldest brother returned from a tour in Afghanistan as a Marine. Urban had three months of formal vocal training in a music studio and cites several recording artists as his musical influences. These influences include John Denver (known by his mother as Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.; born on New Years Eve 1943 and died on October 12, 1997), Jack Johnson, John Mayer, OneRepublic, Jim Croce, and James Taylor. According to his American Idol interview, Urban stated that he never bothered to consume or possess alcohol, tobacco, or illegal substances.

Before his stint on American Idol, Urban was a member of Actors, Models, and Talent for Christ (AMTC), a talent development agency that also credited American Idol season 3 runner-up Diana DeGarmo as a past participant. He was once a hotel and restaurant singer who played in the Dallas / Fort Worth Christian music circuit with his band.

Urban auditioned for American Idol season 9 in Dallas, Texas, with the song "Bulletproof Weeks" by Matt Nathanson. He made it through to the Hollywood round, but he was originally cut in the green mile round. However, he was called back to American Idol upon the disqualification of Chris Golightly, who was disqualified on February 17, 2010, over an old recording contract. Golightly's contract expired by the time the voting rounds began, but American Idol disqualified Golightly because his old recording contract was valid at the time of the auditions, in violation of American Idol rules. Golightly later appeared on a Korean television show called Superstar K, a singing competition show in the vein of American Idol. In there, he states that he once wrote songs for Korean recording artists.

Urban was subsequently voted into season 9's top 10, but I believe that Todrick Hall should have made the top 10 instead of him. When American Idol asked Urban what his proudest moment is, he answered, "Handing out nutritional products to orphans in South Africa and Swaziland."

Through his stint on American Idol, Urban received mixed feedback from the judges, who praised a few of his performances but regarded most of them as tedious, "pedestrian" and "pointless and silly." However, bloggers, who often compare him to American Idol season 6 finalist Sanjaya Malakar, noted how the judges' critiques never seemed to affect the perpetually smiling Urban, or his chances of making it through week after week. On top 12 week, he was in the bottom three with Paige Miles as Lacey Brown was eliminated. On top 11 week, he was in the bottom three with Katie Stevens as Paige Miles was eliminated. On top 10 week, he was in the bottom three again with Katie Stevens as Didi Benami was eliminated. He was dubbed "Teflon Tim", a nickname that Ryan Seacrest alluded to during the March 31 episode. On the same night, Simon Cowell said "I don't think it makes any difference whatsoever what we say. You're going to smile, the audience is going to vote for you, nobody cares, and you'll be here next week. So well done." As controversy over Urban's lackluster performances escalated, American Idol critics began to fault the judges' comments as "little more than displays of ego or thinly disguised bullying," and suggested that Urban may be good for the show, because he put the judges in their place.

Vote for the Worst endorsed Urban during his entire American Idol run. The Web site claims that he holds the record for the contestant to survive the longest with its endorsement. Urban commented about the Web site, "I'm actually kind of sad that I was on that website."

Urban was eliminated in 7th place during the "Idol Gives Back" special on April 21, after receiving negative reviews for his performance of "Better Days" by Goo Goo Dolls. A montage of his American Idol run followed the announcement of his fate. Because the show ran beyond its scheduled time, it ended abruptly, and Urban had no chance to deliver a final performance. Urban later said, "I was a little sad that I didn't get to sing one last time on that stage, but... you don't always get what you want. I'll be back for the finale and hopefully get to perform on that stage again. It was a little bittersweet, but overall, it's all right."

After his stint on American Idol, Urban went on a media tour on local FOX affiliates, in addition to planned appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Late Show with David Letterman, and The Wendy Williams Show. He visited the If I Can Dream house. He participated in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2010, which began July 1 and ended August 31, where he performed "Better Days" by Goo Goo Dolls and "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay.

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 106 finalist. According to Paris Bennett, he has a striking resemblance to the Disney character Chicken Little. He is a type 1 diabetic like his fellow contestant Elliott Yamin. He was in the bottom three with Bucky Covington and Lisa Tucker when he was eliminated.

#108 Jon Peter Lewis

2011-09-17T18:35:00.001-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 108 finalist Jon Peter Lewis. He got eighth place on American Idol season 3. He is affectionately known as JPL by the host Ryan Seacrest, the judges, and his fans. He was ranked at number 37 on the Los Angeles Times American Idol power rankings list of May 31, 2010.

Jon Peter Lewis was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on November 7, 1979. Therefore, he is one day older than me. He resided in various cities across the U.S. with his nomadic family before leaving the nest immediately after graduating from Central High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1998. He starred in the lead role of Thorin Oakenshield in a theatrical adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit in a local youth club the summer of 1997. He performed in many other theatrical productions and was a member of various rock and roll groups throughout his time in high school and college.

At the age of 23, he cashed his college loans to audition for American Idol season 3 in Honolulu, Hawaii, alongside Jasmine Trias, with the song "Crazy Love" by Van Morrison. He was praised by judge Simon Cowell for "very, very good voice." He went on to display an uninhibited stage presence and personality that won Anerica's affection. Simon Cowell heralded him "the dark horse to win the competition", and he was pegged as an early favorite by Rolling Stone magazine. Elton John praised Lewis for having "excellent pitch and phrasing."

Lewis was a member of the third semifinal group, and he performed Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." After performing "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Presley, he was chosen for the top 12 by public vote, receiving 22% of the votes cast. On top 12 week (Soul week), he performed "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray, On top 11 week (Country week), he performed "She Believes in Me" by Kenny Rogers. On top 10 week (Motown week), he performed "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" by The Isley Brothers. On top 9 week (Elton John week), he performed "Rocket Man" by Elton John. On top 8 week (Movie songs week), after performing "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley, he was eliminated in eighth place. During the competition, he had displayed a three-octave vocal range and developed a strong fanbase. As he made the top 10, he participated in the 50-city American Idols LIVE! Tour 2004.

After his stint on American Idol, Lewis decided to work on his own musical style and create original music rather than taking business offers to use his stint on the show to release a pop EP. From late 2004 to 2006, he spent most of his time recording original music working closely with Alex Gibson of Henson Recording Studios (formerly known as A&M studios), the studio where the original and 2010 versions of We Are the World were recorded, as well as other notable personnel in Hollywood. "Turn to Grey" was among the first songs Lewis wrote. He composed while participating in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2004. He recorded part of the song as an homage to my season 3 favorite Jennifer Hudson after she told him that she loved singing in her home.

Lewis has been a contributor to MTV, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone magazine, The L.A. Times, and AOL Entertainment. He continues to be a recurring guest of national television and top 20 radio markets. He released his self-titled EP in 2010.

Members of JPL's band have included Sky Elobar, Andrew Synowiec, Ian Hendrickson, Craig Macintyre, Stuart Johnson, Blake Mills, Austin Nicholsen, Adam Range and Tyler George Beus. Lewis and his band are on tour across the U.S.A.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 107 finalist. He was not originaly chosen for American Idol season 9, the most embarrassing season in the history of the show. He was chosen for that season as a replacement for Chris Golightly, who was disqualified on February 17, 2010, over an old record deal.

#109 Matthew Rogers

2011-09-15T23:35:00.003-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Matthew Rogers from American Idol season 3. He was the host of the prematurely canceled reality television show There Goes the Neighborhood, which was broadcast in standard definition. He was also the host of a documentary series called Really Big Things. He now hosts Coming Home on the Lifetime television network. He was ranked at number 67 on the Los Angeles Times American Idol power rankings list of May 31, 2010.

Matthew Wyatt "Matt" Rogers was born on September 16, 1978. He is a native and resident of Rancho Cucamonga, California, which is located approximately 39 miles (63 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, California. He began to sing at the age of five. He attended Sierra Vista Middle School, which is part of the Irvine Unified School District in Covina, California, and South Hills High School, which is part of the Covina-Valley Unified School District, in West Covina, California, which is east of Los Angeles and in the San Gabriel Valley. He played football during his time in high school. He went on to play college football at the University of Washington, where he served as an offensive lineman on their 2001 Rose Bowl championship team. He lost his mother to cancer in middle 2004.

After his stint on American Idol, he married his longtime girlfriend Teri Himes on February 19, 2005, and became father to a son named Brayden Douglas, born on April 16, 2006, weighing in at eight pounds.

Rogers was 25 years old during his stint on American Idol. He auditioned for American Idol in Los Angeles, California, with James Ingram's "Just Once." He was a member of semifinal group 2. During the semifinals, he performed the 1978 hit "What You Won't Do for Love" by Bobby Caldwell, and he was chosen by the public to be in the top 12. On top 11 week, he performed "Hard to Handle" by Otis Redding. On March 24, 2006, after performing the 2000 hit "Amazed" by Lonestar, he got his 11th place curtain call on American Idol.

Since his stint on American Idol, Rogers served as a co-host for American Idol Extra, which ran from 2006 to 2009, and worked as a correspondent on several sports and entertainment shows, including Turner Sports College Football, The Best Damn Sports Show Period, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, and American Idol. He made a guest appearance on the "Idols" edition of Family Feud.

Rogers was the host for the Discovery Channel show Really Big Things in 2007 and the CBS show There Goes the Neighborhood in 2009. He now hosts the Lifetime show Coming Home, which debuted March 6, 2011.

The next entry on my American Idol finalist countdown, from my least favorite (who is Nikki McKibbin, ranked at number 120) to my most favorite (whom I will not mention by name until I get to number 1), is my number 108 American Idol finalist. He is one day older than me. He lived in various cities across the United States with his nomadic family until he left the nest at 18. He auditioned for American Idol season 3 in Hawaii. After singing an Elvis Presley song, he was eliminated just before Jennifer Hudson.

#110 Chris Sligh

2011-09-14T22:51:00.003-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 110 American Idol finalist Chris Sligh from season 6. His music genres are Christian rock and alternative rock. He is a member of the band called Half Past Forever. He resided in Greenville, South Carolina, at the time of his stint on American Idol. He was ranked at number 53 on The Los Angeles Times American Idol power rankings list of May 31, 2010.

Charles Christopher Sligh was born in Madison, Tennessee, to Chuck and Susan Sligh, Baptist Missionaries to U.S. soldiers, on July 20, 1978. He is the oldest of three sons. The family relocated to Durham, North Carolina, when Sligh was a toddler but soon relocate to Wiesbaden, Germany, where his father Chuck ministered to U.S. soldiers. Sligh lived there until he returned to the U.S. to attend high school in 1995. Chuck Sligh is an expert guitarist and passed his passion for music to his three sons. Although Chris Sligh started singing during his high school tenure, he was raised on classical music in a rigid upbringing.

Sligh started college, studying pre-law, at Pensacola College in Florida. He transferred in his sophomore year to Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, intending to major in music. Although he had no prior formal training, he progressed rapidly in the school's vocal performance program, and he was invited to audition for The Julliard School and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He was expelled from Bob Jones University for violating school rules by attending a concert by the Christian band 4Him, which was founded in 1990 and disbanded in 2006. He then attended North Greenville University but left she a few credits of earning a music degree.

Sligh auditioned for American Idol season 6 in Birmingham, Alabama, singing "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal. Paula Abdul gave him standing ovation and said to him, "I like you very much." The judges laughed at his ambition "to make David Hasselhoff" cry, a reference to David Hasselhoff shedding tears of joy when Taylor Hicks won American Idol season 5. He was an early favorite of the judges, as all three judges spoke of a guy with curly hair who did not look like a typical American Idol. According to Abdul, he is vocally compared to Penn Jillette from the duo of Penn & Teller, whom he resembles. However, on top 16 week, after Sligh performed "We All Wanna Be Love" by DcTalk, the judges criticized him more harshly.

During top 24 week, Sligh demonstrated his extensive knowledge of American Idol trivia, which he claimed to have learned while researching extensively at his job in Greenville, South Carolina. Simon Cowell thought that Sligh's performance of "Typical" by the band called Mutemath "...like being at some weird student gig" and told Sligh that he felt like Sligh was more focused on personality rather than on vocal prowess. Sligh retorted by stating: "Just because I don't sound like Il Divo or the Teletubbies doesn't mean that I don't have a good voice", alluding to Cowell's creation of the classical group Il Divo and his work in making an album featuring the Teletubbies. Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul cheered at the purported insult. The viewers and the studio audience were left bewildered by Simon's bitter reaction, while Sligh and host Ryan Seacrest later made it clear that the expression was directed at Seacrest.

Sligh was eliminated on American Idol claiming 10th place on March 28, 2007. While delivering his final performance on the American Idol stage, he told fellow contestant Phil Stacey, who got 6th place, "You owe me 50 bucks," referencing their bet that he would be eliminated during that results show. The next day, Sligh said that he was not trying to win the competition and that was only trying to make far enough to claim a seat on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2007.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 109 finalist, who was the host of the short-lived TV show There Goes the Neighborhood.

#111 Julia DeMato

2011-09-13T23:12:00.002-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 111 American Idol finalist Julia DeMato. She got 10th place on American Idol season 2, barely being qualified to participate on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2003. She is an American cosmetologist and karaoke singer. She was ranked at number 101 on The Los Angeles Times American Idol power rankings list of May 31, 2010.

Julia Megan DeMato was born in Brookfield, Connecticut, on March 7, 1979. She is the youngest and only girl of six children. Her mother Joan is a realtor at RE/MAX in her hometown. Her father Peter owns Chase Equipment in New Milford, Connecticut. She is a 1997 Brookfield High School alumna.

DeMato was heavily featured in the television coverage of American Idol season 2's audition and Hollywood rounds, including the portrayal of drama with Kimberly Caldwell during the Hollywood round. She performed "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield in the semi-finals. In the finals, she performed "Flashdance ... What a Feeling" by Irene Cara on top 12 week and "Where Did Our Love Go" by The Supremes on top 11 week. She was eliminated at 10th place on March 26, 2003, after a performance of "Breathe" by Faith Hill.

After her stint on American Idol, DeMato enjoyed some success on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2003, performing "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera. She also covered "At Last" by Etta James on the American Idol 2 Love Songs CD. DeMato's renditions of the songs well received by fans and critics. However, her brief musical career peaked with an album and the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2003, and further success eluded her. Later that year, she had a brief stint as a judge for the Oxygen Network show Meow TV.

DeMato could not claim a major record deal, but she did record one song, "Let It Rain", with a company called Somme Music, an Internet outlet marketing that one song. The song got mixed reviews: Some audiences liked the vocals and the music, but others complained about the composition and the negative tone of some of the lyrics, written by the head of Somme Music. No further songs were recorded.

On July 6, 2005, DeMato and her fiancé, electrician Jim Polches, claimed parenthood when she gave birth in Danbury, Connecticut (I went there back in 1998). She and Polches married the following year.

In December 2005, DeMato briefly returned to the news when she encountered the law on charges of possession of marijuana and cocaine, as well as driving under the influence of alcohol after failing a field sobriety test. At first, she claimed that they were misunderstood. While Connecticut has severe penalties against driving under the influence, she avoided incarceration and a criminal record by negotiation through her attorney, an alternative sentence involving community service and a program of drug and alcohol education.

Residing in her hometown Brookfield, Connecticut, and working as a cosmetologist once again, she has appeared as a singer and humanitarian occasionally, mainly in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Between July 22 and August 2, 2008, Julia and fellow American Idol season 2 finalists Trenyce and Rickey Smith, disqualified season 2 contestant Frenchie Davis (who competed on The Voice season 1), and season 1 finalist RJ Helton performed at the Razz Room in San Francisco, California. American Idol season 4 finalists Vonzell Solomon and Constantine Marouls, and season 7 finalist David Hernandez also performed at the Razz Room from August 5 to 16, 2008.

On June 18, 2009, DeMato began to host a twelve-week "Summer Idol" Karaoke contest at Rowley's Tavern, a local Irish style pub located in Norwalk, Connecticut. Julia opened the night singing a song, the offering color commentary and announcing upcoming karaoke singers. Her other appearances in Connecticut include performing the U.S. National Anthem at the Thompson International Speedway at a NASCAR event.

On April 15, 2010, during the time of American Idol season 9, DeMato participated in a humanitarian aid mission in New York City by delivering food to hungry New York City residents with City Harvest, alongside American Idol season 5 finalist Ace Young, season 3 runner-up Diana DeGarmo, season 8 finalist Jorge Núñez, and season 1 finalist RJ Helton.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 110 American Idol finalist, who is from season 6 and hails from Greenville, South Carolina.

#112 Michael Sarver

2011-09-12T21:22:00.003-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 112 finalist Michael Sarver. He got 10th place on American Idol season 8. He should not have been on the tour. He is from Jasper, Texas.

Jeremy Michael Sarver was born in Sulphur, Louisiana, on March 28, 1981. He attended Sulphur High School. His wife is Tiffany Sarver, and he has two children: McKenna and Grayson. He wrote over 890 songs for himself since the age of 14, and he has been singing since his teenage years. Before his stint on American Idol he worked as a roughneck on an oil rig.

Sarver auditioned for American Idol season 8 with the song "Thank You" by Boyz II Men in Phoenix, Arizona. During the semi-final week, after performing "I Don't Want to Be" by Gavin DeGraw, he was barely able to garner enough votes from the American public to claim a spot in the top 13, defeating fellow contestant Anoop Desai with a margin of 20,000 votes. On top 13 week, he performed "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson. On top 11 week, he performed "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)" by Garth Brooks. After performing "Ain't to Proud to Beg" by The Temptations, he was eliminated at 10th place, after the judges could not unanimously agree to save him. As he made the top 10, he was qualified to perform on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009. I would have replaced him with my season 8 favorite, who is my all-time favorite. Reflecting on his stint on American Idol, Sarver stated that his family thought Cowell acted "like a jerk" but was entitled to his own opinion.

On October 31, 2009, Sarver was signed to Dream Records and Universal Music Group. He went the country route and released his debut album on July 27, 2010. Around the time of American Idol season 9, he participated in the American Stars in Concert Tour alongside season 6 finalist Gina Glocksen, season 7 finalist David Hernandez, and my number 116 American Idol finalist Alexis Grace from seaosn 8. He performed his first single "You Are" at the Dream Center, a Pentecostal Christian Church located at 2301 Bellevue Avenue in Los Angeles, California. According to his MySpace page, he signed to Dream Records/Fontana Distribution. Sarver is also the official spokesman for Credit Power Educational Foundation, Inc. He recently released an official single titled "Ferris Wheel." He also filmed a music video for it. It will be Sarver's first official single being broadcast on country radio. In June 2010, he also launched his official web site MichaelSarverSite.com where fans can pre-order his album.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 111 finalist, a season 2 finalist who hails from Brookfield, Connecticut, and is the youngest and only girl of six.

#113 Bucky Covington

2011-09-11T22:13:00.003-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 113 finalist, country singer-songwriter Bucky Covington. He is my least favorite finalist of season 5. He came to fame when he got eighth place on American Idol season 5. In December 2006, he was signed to Lyric Street Records. His self-titled debut album, which was produced by Mark Miller, a member of the band Sawyer Brown, was released on April 17, 2007, during the time of American Idol season 6. He was ranked at number 45 on The Los Angeles Times American Idol power rankings list.

William Joel "Bucky" Covington, III, was born in Rockingham, North Carolina, on November 8, 1977, alongside his identical twin brother Robert David "Rocky" Covington. Bucky is the nickname derived from his grandfather Buck. He graduated as a member of the class of 1996 from Scotland High School in Laurinburg, North Carolina. When he was fresh out of high school, he worked at Covington's Body Shop in Hamlet, North Carolina.

At the age of 18, ten years before his stint on American Idol, Covington learned to play the guitar and began to perform at clubs. He is also a bassist, drummer, and a songwriter. Over the years, he evolved talentwise in both the country and rock genres. Sometime thereafter, he elected to record and perform both original songs and cover songs in a cross-genre fashion. His twin brother Rocky is also a musician and is the former lead singer of the local band called Swamp Cat.

In 1998, the year I graduated from high school, when the Covington twins were 20 years old, they were in a minor automobile identity mishap. Bucky allegedly pretended to be Rocky, and were arrested for confusing law enforcement. The plaintiff could not identity whether it was Bucky or Rocky driving, since the twins were identical.

In the fifth season of American Idol, the Covington twins individually auditioned in Greensboro, North Carolina. Of the two, only Bucky advanced to the voting rounds. Bucky Covington made the top 12 after a performance of "Wave on Wave" by Pat Green. On March 22, 2006, he was in the bottom 3 with Lisa Tucker and Kevin Covais, who was eliminated that week. On April 12, 2006, when he was in the bottom 3 with Ace Young (who was eliminated right after Covington) and my season 5 favorite Elliott Yamin, he was eliminated at eight place. During the top 8 results show of season 6, he appeared on one of the front rows.

After his stint on American Idol, he bought a house near Franklin, Tennessee, near Nashville, which he shared with Rocky and his wife Terra. Rocky also joined Bucky's band as a percussionist. On February 23, 2007, he and his wife Crystal, whom he married before his stint on American Idol, separated from each other, but he recently got engaged to his girl friend of three and a half years, Katherine Cook.

In April 2010, Lyric Street Records went belly up, but Covington was transferred to record label affiliated with Disney Music Group.

Next up is my number 112 American Idol finalist, who auditioned for season 8 in Phoenix, Arizona, and was an oil rigger before his stint on American Idol.

#114 Didi Benami

2011-09-10T21:53:00.001-04:00

Next on my American Idol countdown, at number 114 is Didi Benami from American Idol season 9. She finished in 10th place. She was in the bottom 3 with Tim Urban and Katie Stevens. Her music genres are pop and acoustic rock. Her musical influences are Adele, Norah Jones, Angel Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Joni Mitchell, Alana Davis, Patty Griffin, Sarah McLachlan, the late Amy Winehouse, Paul McCartney, Jason Reeves, and the late John Lennon. She plays the piano and guitar. In my opinion, stole a spot in the top 12 from Michelle Delamor.

Vered "Didi" Benami (Hebrew ורד "דידי" בן עמי) was born in New York City on October 25, 1986, and relocated to my mothertown Knoxville, Tennessee, at the age of 7. She is the daughter of Jewish parents, with her father being Israeli, and her first name Vered is Hebrew for "rose." She spent most of her childhood in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Benami graduated from West High School of Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2005. She began to sing at the age of 11. In school, she claimed the role of Marty in the musical show called "Grease", and often performed the U.S. national anthem (Star Spangled Banner) in front of many crowds. During the broadcast of American Idol season 9, she mentioned that she was a cheerleader and mascot at Bearden Middle School.

Before relocating to Hollywood, California, she attended Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. This relocation was tainted by the death of her best friend and roommate, recording artist Rebecca Joy Lear, in an automobile accident driving from Nashville to Lear's Kansas home during the Christmas holiday of her freshman year. They shared writing sessions mainly on Lear's album. Recently, Benami stated that she would cover Lear's song catalog and upload her version of the Lear's songs.

Benami auditioned for American Idol season 9 in Los Angeles, California, where she has lived there since 2006. She credited her best friend Rebecca Joy Lear, whose career she would pick up after, as one of the reasons why she auditioned for the show. She auditioned with The Beatles' song "Hey Jude." The judges, including guest judge Avril Lavigne, well praised the audition. She became an early favorite in the competition following her critically acclaimed performance of "Terrified" by Katharine McPhee, the runner-up of American Idol season 5 in the first Hollywood round, where Simon Cowell said "she was good." The song was co-written by then American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, who left the judges' panel after season 9 alongside Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres. During group night, Benami's group performed "No One" by Alicia Keys. In the third Hollywood round, she performed "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan.

On top 24 week, Benami performed "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson, where she failed to impress the judges, with the judges stating that she has a good voice but was rather "sound-alike." On top 20 week, she performed "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers, where she once again failed to impress the judges, with Randy Jackson saying that it was pitchy and Simon Cowell said that it was like a "screaching cat." However, on top 16 week, she went from zero to hero with the song "Rhiannon" by Fleetwood Mac, with Kara DioGuardi adding that the performance has the "singer-songwriter" vibe and swagger that DioGuardi loves on Benami's Hollywood round performance of "Terrified" which she would later sing on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2010. On top 12 week, Benami performed "Play With Fire" by The Rolling Stones. On top 11 week, she performed "You're No Good" by Betty Everett. On top 10 week, after performing "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" by Jimmy Ruffin, she was eliminated from the competition finishing in 10th place. Despite an encore of her top 16 performance for the judges' save, the judges elected not to save her, but the decision was not unanimous. However, Simon Cowell consoled her stating that it was "a million times better" than her performance the night before her elimination.

Next up is my number 113 finalist, a country star born exactly two years before I was born and has an identical twin.

#115 Megan Joy

2011-09-09T23:24:00.000-04:00

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown, is my number 115 American Idol finalist Megan Joy Allman (known as Megan Joy during her stint on the show). Formerly known as Megan Joy Corkrey, she is my least favorite finalist of season 8's top ten. I doubt whether she earned a spot in the top 10. She did a horrible performance of "Turn the Lights Down Low" at top 9, resulting in elimination. She made her acting debut as a minor character in the R-rated 2011 film Hall Pass. She is placed by LA Times' May 2010 power ranking list at number 64. She and Michael Sarver certainly did not deserve to make the top 10 as much as my all-time favorite finalist. She aspires to release her self-titled EP very soon. Her music is independently produced. Her music genres are indie pop, jazz, blue-eyed soul, electronic, and experimental music.

Megan Joy Allman was born Megan Joy Knudsen on September 18, 1985, in Sandy, Utah. Before her stint on American Idol she worked as a font designer for a company known as SendOutCards. She has a mother, a stepfather, a sister, and a brother named CJ. She starting singing when she was in kindergarten. She was musically influenced by Björk after listening to the said female artist at the age of 16. She revealed that she auditioned for every talent competition she could think of during her teenage years, but made nothing. She added: "Even the choir that anyone can be in, I wouldn't even make like a silly little solo." She originally had no plans to audition for American Idol, because she thought she would have zero chance to make it to the Hollywood round. However, her family and friends motivated her to audition for the show and she agreed to do so. Joy stated that for the first time in her life, "it was crossroads where anything can happen, so why not go for what I love to do." She later revealed that before her stint on American Idol, she was at her lowest, and was depressed and miserable, and that she lost herself. American Idol gave herself back, and she fell back in love with music and reclaimed her confidence. Her goals at the time were to move out of the nest, finance to return to school, and figure out how to establish herself. Joy graduated from Taylorsville High School in Taylorsville, Utah.

Joy never had any formal singing classes before her stint on American Idol. She auditioned for American Idol season 8 in Salt Lake City, Utah, on her birthday in 2008. At the audition in front of the judges, she sang "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" by Oscar Hammerstein II. Simon Cowell stated that Joy had a great voice and he loved it, and Kara DioGuardi thought that Joy was an interesting girl and had an unbelievable face. The judges unanimously decided to advance her to the Hollywood rounds. In the green mile round, Joy had to have a sing-off against another contestant (later identified as my number 118 finalist Lacey Brown, who would later become a season 9 contestant), with the judges chosing Joy for season 8.

Joy's semifinal performance of "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae was less than stellar. Cowell stated during his critique that Joy had a rough road in the Hollywood rounds. Joy was not one of the three finalists chosen by the public out of the semifinal group 2 (the group that included the contestant who later become my number 1 finalist), which are the finalists I rank at numbers 32, 42, and 59. However, Joy returned for the Wild Card and sang KT Tunstall's "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" and was selected by the judges to be in the top 13.
Joy began her run in the finals with most negative feedback from the judges on her performance of The Jackson 5's "Rockin' Robin." That performance was a joke. Kara DioGuardi praised Joy for her ability to put her signature in every song she takes on, with Randy Jackson in agreement added "That's so Megan." Randy Jackson added that the song choice did not truely let her be herself. Paula Abdul felt disconnected from Joy and that the judges did not hear that sound that they love from Joy.
During top 11 week, Joy caught the Influenza B virus and was so ill with influenza that she was hooked up to an IV minutes before taking the American Idol stage. I thought she should have withdrawn to let my all-time favorite finalist take her place. Despite the illness, she belted out a rendition of Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight." The judges were unanimously well impressed with the performance and Simon Cowell added, "You should have the flu every week."

On top 10 week, Joy pulled off the Stevie Wonder classic "For Once in My Life" and guest mentor Smokey Robinson believed that she was one of the most unique contestants in American Idol history.

On top 9 week, Joy performed "Turn Your Lights Down Low" by Bob Marley and The Wailers. She thought she would connect with the judges, but she did not. The judges strongly critiqued her performance, with Simon Cowell stating that it was "boring, indulgent, and monotonous." DioGuardi stated that the judges would not have chosen that song for her and thought that Adele's song catalog would have been better. DioGuardi then added that she likes Joy but think's Joy is in trouble.

Upon elimination, when Joy asked Ryan Seacrest on her thoughts about the performance and on Simon Cowell's feedback, she said "I love you Simon, but I didn't really care." With Simon Cowell demured, "Megan, with the greatest respect, when you said that you don't care -- nor do we. So I'm not going to pretend that we're even going to contemplate saving you." Joy was never in the bottom 3 prior to her 9th place elimination. I believe that she and Michael Sarver are vocally inferior to the bottom 2 of the top 13.

Next is my number 114 American Idol finalist, the American Idol season 9 finalist who lost her best friend in an automobile accident.

#116 Alexis Grace

2011-09-08T22:58:00.002-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 116 finalist, Alexis Grace. She is my least favorite finalist of American Idol season 8. Alexis Grace Middleton was born on August 14, 1987, in Memphis, Tennessee. She is a single mother.

Grace was an early favorite of American Idol season 8. She was a member of semifinal group 1. Her semifinal performance of "I Never Love a Man (The Way I Love You)" demonstrated that she had potential. She was chosen to be a finalist alongside Michael Sarver and Danny Gokey. Anoop Desai from the same semifinal group was later chosen as a wildcard finalist.

During top 13 week, Grace closed the performance show with a performance of "Dirty Diana" by Michael Jackson. After performing "Jolene" by Dolly Parton, she finished in 11th place, thus missing out on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009. Her 11th place elimination shocked many across the country, but I disagree with the shock. I thought her elimination was merited and I agreed with the judges. On the night of her elimination, she stated that her best friend on the show is my all-time favorite finalist.

Grace was on the scene in the season 9 auditions in Atlanta and Dallas where she interviewed some of the hopefuls. She served as the American Idol expert on Memphis radio station Q107.5. As of May 2010, the LA Times ranked her at number 54 in their power rankings.

On January 31, 2010, Grace attended the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards show held at Staples Center, where Michael Jackson's memorial service took place. On May 25, 2010, she attended the Ubisoft video launch of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands at the Mondrian Hotel's Skybar in Los Angeles, California.

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is at number 115, who is my least favorite of season 8's top 10, and who did a less-than-stellar performance that merited her 9th place ouster.

#117 Amy Adams

2011-09-07T20:26:00.002-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown, from my least favorite to my most favorite, is at number 117, and that is Amy Adams from American Idol season 3. She finished in 10th place. Lisa Leuschner should have made the top 12 instead of her.

Amy Christina Adams was born in Kansas City, Kansas, on July 25, 1979. She currently resides in Bakerfield, California, and works as a makeup artist. On November 10, 2010, she got married to Adam Miller in Bakersfield, California. She has one son named Harrison Ryan, born in May 2005.

Adams auditioned in Atlanta, Georgia, and was a member of the third semifinal group. She claimed a spot in the top 12 with a rendition of "The Power of Love" by Jennifer Rush. Her successful performance of Dixie Chicks' "Sin Wagon" lead her to make the top 10, thus qualifying her for a seat on the American Idols LIVE! Tour bus. On the night March 30, she was eliminated with a 10th place finish after performing "Dancing in the Street" by Martha and the Vandellas.

She is the first contestant not to make the top 5 to appear on the late night show Tonight Show With Jay Leno. Simon Cowell previously stated on the show that Adams reminded him of Jay Leno, likely a combined reference to her big chin and sense of humor.

In September 2005, Adams began to tour in the U.S. touring company production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Patrick Cassidy, appearing as the Narrator.

In August 2009, Adams collaborated with Garden Pathways Inc. Performing Arts daycare and American Sound Recording Studios in Bakersfield, CA for a weeklong singing camp for local children ages 12 to 18.

Her personal quote is: "I believe that we can all change the world in small form. Being granted a chance to have people believe in your talents enough that you can touch the world in masses, there is no telling how you can change the world. Whether it be through music, charity, or simply, self love."

Next on the countdown is at 116, who is an early favorite of season 8 and who barely fellow short of the top 10 after singing "Jolene" by Dolly Parton, thus missing out on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009, and is a close friend of my number 1 American Idol finalist.

#118 Lacey Brown

2011-09-06T19:55:00.002-04:00

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 118 American Idol finalist: Christian singer Lacey Brown. She is recently signed to an independent record label called LEB Records. She is my least favorite contestant of American Idol season 9, the most embarrassing season in the history of the show. I cannot stand listening to her, and she lacks originality. Lilly Scott should have made the top 12 instead of her.

Lacey Elizabeth Brown was born on August 13, 1985, in Amarillo, Texas. She is the daughter of the pastors of Victory Church, a local Christian church in the said town. At that town, she served as Venue (Victory Church's college-age group) director and taught civics and Christian values to Victory's internship students. During childhood, she studied violin. She also resided in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she had Bible schooling, and her eduction includings studying art. One of her memorable anecdotes is a memory when she was a small child, when she first heard of Patsy Cline.

Her music genre is Christian, folk, pop, rock, and country. Her musical influences include Lady Antebellum, Kings of Leon, Coldplay, U2, Patsy Cline, Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton, and Pete Yorn.

Brown originally auditioned for American Idol season 8, where she made the top 54 of the Hollywood rounds, more specifically the green mile round, but she was cut before the top 36 in favor of Megan Joy after a sing-off. She later auditioned for American Idol season 9 in Orlando, Florida, with a rendition of "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz, by Judy Garland. She impressed the judges, including guest judge Kristin Chenoweth, and she advanced to the Hollywood round. During Hollywood week, her performance of "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong was featured as a montage for the contestants who became a part of American Idol season 9's top 24. During top 24 week, she performed "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac, but the judges critiqued her for lack of originality. During top 20 week, the judges critiqued her performance of "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer, but it was well-received by the band's leader Leigh Nash. Brown went from zero to hero with her rendition of Brandi Carlile's "The Story" on top 16 week, and she eventually made the top 12.

At top 12, Brown's rendition of "Ruby Tuesday" by The Rolling Stones, based on Melanie Safka's version, was critiqued by the judges that it "lacked energy", but Simon Cowell consoled her by saying that there was nothing wrong with her vocals. I was relieved that on the night of March 17, 2010, Brown's stint on American Idol came into an end. During the night of her elimination, the song "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong was played at the beginning of the results show, with a montage of the top 12's journey, which set the tone for her elimination. The judges' save, which was originally used on Matt Giraud back in season 8, was reintroduced that night. Despite her effort with a second performance of "The Story", the judges chose not to save her, but the decision was not unanimous. In fact, the judges' save was never used on a female contestant. This season the judges' save was used on my season favorite Michael Lynche. Brown's elimination sparked controversy when Ryan Seacreast spoiled the results via twitter, and that reduced the audience size. Because she fell short of the top 10, as did my all-time favorite contestant, she and Paige Miles did not attend the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2010, the first American Idol summer tour I attended.

#119 Vanessa Olivarez

2011-09-05T20:39:00.002-04:00

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown: At number 119 in my preference is Vanessa Olivarez, hence my second least favorite American Idol finalist. She got 12th place on the second season of American Idol. She is the vocalist, primary songwriter, and autoharpist of the new alternative country band Granville Automatic. She has written songs for country stars. As of May 2010, LA Times placed her at number 117 on their "Ultimate Power Ranking" list. She is the only finalist of season 2 who was not featured on the season's compilation album.

Vanessa Denae Olivarez was born on April 7, 1981, in Atlanta, Georgia. Before her stint on American Idol, she worked as a chemical assistant. She also worked as a hair colorist doing highlights at Salon Corsica. She had six months of vocal training at Gwinnett School of Fine Arts during her teenage years in 1997. At the age of 3, she once sang "Rainbowland" on the Rainbow Brite Record. Her favorite male artist is Justin Timberlake. Her favorite female artist is Norah Jones.

Olivarez auditioned for the second season of American Idol in Atlanta, Georgia, with a rendition of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." Paula Abdul was absent from the audition, but Olivarez impressed both Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson and made it to Hollywood. Olivarez impressed the judges in one of the Hollywood rounds, where the contestants had to write their own songs. She wrote a song called "The Only Thing Special About You Is Me." She then made it to the top 32 round.

Olivarez performed in front of America for the first time on the night of February 18, 2003. That night, she performed "Out Here on My Own" by Latin star Irene Cara. She impressed the judges, but Cowell told her that she need to lose weight. She received words of encouragement by Abdul and Jackson, and America voted her into the top 12. On top 12 week, March 11, 2003, she performed in front of America once again, singing "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by The Supremes. The judges gave her mixed feedback. When Ryan Seacreast interviewed Olivarez after the performance, she made a controversial comment, which many viewers thought of as rather discourteous, and she came off as arrogant. Seacreast informed viewers that the comment was scripted, but that still hurt her chances in the competition real bad. According to my opinion, Equoia Coleman, who was in the top 3 of semi-final group 3 alongside Olivarez and Ricky Smith, should have made the top 12 instead of Olivarez.

After her stint on American Idol, Olivarez posed nude for PETA. She was later contacted by Canadian actor and recording artist James Collins, and he conveyed her to Toronto, Canada, for writing and recording sessions. She released a single called "The One", featuring "I'm In Love With My Best Friend's Ex" as a B-side. That single reached number 9 on Canada's single charts and Top 30 on the Canadian BDS airplay chart.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 118 finalist. She is my least favorite finalist of the most embarrassing season in the history of the show.

#120 Nikki McKibbin

2011-09-05T15:13:00.001-04:00

My American Idol finalist countdown series begin, from my least favorite to my most favorite. It begins with my number 120 finalist, Nikki McKibbin. She is my least favorite American Idol finalist ever, but many viewers seem to like her. Before American Idol, she competed on the international reality television show Popstars, the precursor to the Idol franchise. She was a stripper and an alcoholic. She was ranked by LA Times at number 42, between season 2's 4th placer Josh Gracin, and my season 9 favorite Michael Lynche.

Katherine Nicole McKibbin was born on September 28, 1978, in Grand Prairie, Texas. She is a wife and mother. Her husband Craig appeared alongside her in the second and fifth seasons of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. Before her stint on American Idol, McKibbin ran a karaoke business called Angelfire Productions.

McKibbin auditioned for the first season of American Idol in Dallas, Texas, and advanced all the way to third place. With the exception of top 8 week, she was in the bottom 3 every week.

After her stint the show, she closed Angelfire Productions for good in order to focus on her career as a recording artist. She was signed to 19 Management and RCA Records. They convinced her to go country, but she refused as she was determined to stay true to her rock and roll roots. The creative differences resulted in no legitimate records being produced.

In 2004, McKibbin was featured on the holiday CD Christmas in a Fishbowl with several other reality television stars for Fishbowl.com. In 2005, she was signed to the independent record label Astral Records, with her rock-influenced album originally intended to be released in February 2006.

In 2007, she released her debut CD Unleashed. For the promotional tour, she toured with the Texas heavy metal band Rivethead. Later in 2007, she recorded Christmas songs for the Christmas CD American Christmas.

The next post will be about my number 119 American Idol finalist, who finished 12th place on the second season of American Idol.

As for gender and age, my number 2 American Idol finalist is male, and he was 22 during his stint on the show. My number 1 American Idol finalist is female, and she was 17 during her stint on the show.

My Top 10 Biggest Reality TV Upsets

2011-08-21T22:02:00.002-04:00

I have had my fair share of reality television upsets. Sometimes I pin the elimination of the said contestant on the voting bloc of one of the other contestants. My top 10 upsets in reality television history are are:

10. On November 11, 2009, Pauline Mata was ceremoniously eliminated at top 16 alongside Peter Sabasino on So You Think You Can Dance season 6.
9. Arthur Wornum was unanimously eliminated at week 9 on The Biggest Loser season 11. The culprit was Rulon Gardner. The episode was originally broadcast on March 1, 2011.
8. Shay Sorrells was eliminated at week 9 on The Biggest Loser season 8, falling below the yellow line with Amanda Arlauskas. The episode was originally broadcast on November 10, 2009.
7. Koli Palu elected to eliminate Victoria Andrews, who fell below the yellow line with Sunshine Hampton, at week 14 on The Biggest Loser season 9; he was a gameplayer. He and Sam Poeou formed and alliance with O'Neal and Sunshine Hampton. However, he was eliminated by public vote at the finale, in favor of Daris George. The episode was originally broadcast on April 20, 2010.
6. On March 4, 2010, Jermaine Sellers was ceremoniously eliminated at top 20 alongside John Park, Michelle Delamor, and Haeley Vaughnon American Idol season 9. He should have made the top 12 instead of Andrew Garcia.
5. On November 16, 2010, Brandy Norwood was controversially eliminated on semifinal week of Dancing With the Stars season 11. She should have made the finals instead of Bristol Palin. Her elimination was pinned on the Tea Party movement.
4. On July 7, 2011, Ashley Rich was eliminated at top 14 alongside her partner Chris Koehl on So You Think You Can Dance season 8. Mary Murphy and Travis Wall are wrong about her. The judges' decision was demographically incorrect. She should have made it through in place of Ryan Ramirez. She should have made the top 10 in place of Clarice Ordiz, who is so much choreographically inferior to her. I loved Ashley and Chris's last routine on the show. America went out of touch by shipping Sasha Mallory and Melanie Moore to the top 4. Had America voted more honestly, Ashley would have a shot of making the top 4.
3. On March 11, 2010, Todrick Hall was eliminated at top 16 alongside Alex Lambert, Katelyn Epperly, and Lilly Scott on American Idol season 9. He should have made the top 12 instead of Tim Urban, who made the top 24 upon the disqualification of Chris Golighty.
2. On February 28, 2008, Alexandréa Lushington was eliminated at top 20 alongside Alaina Whittaker, Robbie Carrico, and Jason Yeager on American Idol season 7. She should have made the top 12 instead of Kristy Lee Cook.
1. On March 11, 2009, my all-time favorite American Idol contestant Jasmine Murray was ceremoniously eliminated alongside Jorge Núñez at top 13. She should have made the top 10 instead of Michael Sarver. She is really top 3 material. She has a shot of being more commercially successful than the top 11, including the top 4. Her only true competition are Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta, and the rest of the top 11 are clearly vocally inferior to her.

SYTYCD cuts Robert Taylor, Jr. and Miranda Maleski; Ashley Rich and Chris Koehl in jeopardy

2011-07-06T22:14:00.000-04:00

Last week, Robert Taylor, Jr. and Miranda Maleski were eliminated from the competition on So You Think You Can Dance, determining the season's top 14. The judges decision to eliminate Robert was unanimous, but their decision to eliminate Miranda was not. Miranda, a 19-year-old contemporary dancer, was originally from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. She currently resides in North Hollywood, California. Robert Taylor, a 31-year-old hip hop dancer from Brooklyn, New York, currrently resides in New York City. They were eliminated by judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy and guest judges Kristin Chenoweth and Lil C, after they found themselves in the week's bottom 3 couples based on home viewer votes following the performance show.

First eliminations of SYTYCD season 8

2011-06-30T18:40:00.000-04:00

Last week, there was a double elimination, since the judges elected not to eliminate anyone the week before that. Last week, four dancers got the first boot. They are Wadi Jones, a 24-year-old break dancer from Ossining, New York; Nick Young, a 19-year-old tap dancer from Franklin, Wisconsin; Iveta Lukosiute, a 30-year-old ballroom dancer from Klaipeda, Lithuania; and Missy Morelli, a 20-year-old jazz dancer from Arvada, Colorado. Of the three lowest vote-getting couples, the judges spared Ricky Jaime and Ryan Ramirez, who were the first couple to perform that performance night. My favorite couple Chris Koehl and Ashley Rich were the last couple to perform that night, and I am glad they were not in the bottom three.

So You Think You Can Dance top 20 remains intact

2011-06-22T06:31:00.002-04:00

In the first week of So You Think You Can Dance season 8 voting round, it is difficult to predict who America will pull for, though I am pulling for Ashley and Chris. Last week, the viewers voted to put Jordan Casanova and Tadd Gadduang, Jess LeProtto and Clarice Ordiz, and Miranda Maleski and Robert Taylor, Jr., to be in danger of being eliminated. Mitchell Kelly was supposed to dance with Caitlynn Lawson, but due to shoulder injury, the doctors barred him from performing his routine, thus putting him at risk of elimination. Robert Roldan from season 7 substituted for him for the evening. Clarice had little screen time in Vegas, and Jess's personality was a joke. I predicted that Miranda and Mitchell would be eliminated. However, the judges elected not to eliminate anyone. That means that this week, two guys and two girls will be eliminated. On a side note, due to a power outtage, I did not watch last week's performance show, but I was relieved that Ashley Rich and Chris Koehl were not in the bottom 3 and that Robert Taylor, Jr. was spared by the judges.

Top 20 of So You Think You Can Dance season 8 revealed

2011-06-12T23:11:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday night, the top 20 of So You Think You Can Dance season 8 has been revealed in a live episode with pre-recorded green-mile segments. I doubt whether I am happy with the top 20. The season will begin with the original format. When the number of contestants gets narrowed down to a top 10, it will switch to the season 7 all-star format.

Mary Murphy has returned to the judging panel, replacing Mia Michaels after being absent from season 7 due to contract disputes and undergoing surgery to remove thyroid tumor. Permanent judge and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe has announced that musician Will.i.am will be a guest judge in season 8.

Here are the top 20 of So You Think You Can Dance:

Male Finalists (alphabetically by last name):

Alexander Fost
Tadd Gadduang
Marko Germar
Ricky Jamie
Wadi Jones
Mitchell Kelly
Chris Koell
Jess LeProtto
Robert Taylor, Jr.
Nick Young

Female Finalists:

Jordan Casanova
Caitlynn Lawson
Iveta Lukosiute
Miranda Maleski
Sasha Mallory
Melanie Moore
Missy Morelli
Clarice Ordaz
Ryan Ramirez
Ashley Rich

I am pulling for Robert Taylor, Jr. on the male side and Ashley Rich on the female side. I will be upset if either of them go home on June 16. Mitchell Kelly got injured this week. If Robert Taylor, Jr., goes home I will pull for Wadi Jones. If Ashley Rich goes home this week, I will pull for Sasha Malloy.

TZ Doctrine Tenet #22: The Federal Reserve Must End

2011-05-31T00:09:00.000-04:00

As a tribute to AbolishtheFederalReserve.org, I support the abolition of the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve is a misnomer, because it is actually a privately owned central bank without reserves. It is not a functionary of the U.S. government. They so-called "create" money and then exchange it for U.S. bonds. This is known as "monetizing debt", which ruins the U.S. economy. The Federal Reserve's true agenda is to make a profit at the expense of everyone living in the United States of America.

If it was not for the Federal Reserve, there would have been no need for house foreclosures or automobile repossesions.

Idol Viewers Love Scotty This Big

2011-05-30T01:49:00.000-04:00

Over 122,000,000 votes have been counted. 125,000 people auditioned for American Idol season 10. Only 327 advanced to the Hollywood rounds. The judges narrowed it down to 168 in the first Hollywood round. They narrowed it down to 101 in the second Hollywood round, and down to 61 in the third Hollywood round. They narrowed it down to 40 in the Las Vegas round. After they narrowed it down to 24, the voting rounds began. During the semifinal week, the pool of contestants was narrowed down to 13, and after that, one finalist is eliminated week by week until it is down to Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina. As predicted on the Internet, the teenage country boy Scotty McCreery, who hails from Garner, North Carolina, has been crowned the tenth American Idol. Therefore, Lauren Alaina is the runner-up. How Scotty McCreery won is going to be used against him, because he won based on popularity and due to vote concentration. He has overtaken Jordin Sparks as the youngest American Idol winner. James Durbin should have won instead of him. McCreery's first single is "Love You This Big." Country music is my least favorite music genre. Will Scotty's Idol fame be a flash or a fixture in country music?

Here is how season 10 went:

Winner: Scotty McCreery
Runner-up: Lauren Alaina
Third Place: Haley Reinhart
Fourth Place: James Durbin
Fifth Place: Jacob Lusk
Sixth Place: Casey Abrams
Seventh Place: Stefano Langone
Eighth Place: Paul McDonald
Ninth Place: Pia Toscano
Tenth Place: Thia Megia
Eleventh Place: Naima Adedapo
Twelfth Place: Karen Rodriguez
Thirteenth Place: Ashthon Jones

The top 11 will be participating in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011, which will begin in West Valley City, Utah, on July 6, 2011, and end in Rochester, New York, on September 10, 2011.

Idol shocker: End of the road for rocker James Durbin

2011-05-18T21:06:00.000-04:00

Is America country strong? Last week, after 72,000,000 votes cast, James Durbin was shockingly sent packing, landing him in fourth place. Media pundits did not see that coming. Like I did with Matt Giraud, I voted for him only on the week of his elimination. America evidently loves an underdog, even though she gave the worst performance of that night, Haley Reinhart got the sympathy vote that led her to the top 3. The first person cleared to the top 3 was Lauren Alaina, whom I am rooting for this week. After a performance by Jordin Sparks, Ryan Seacrest dropped the bomb by clearing Haley Reinhart for the top 3. When he announced that Scotty McCreery made it through, it was the end of the road for James Durbin, and I am upset about it.

James Durbin originally auditioned for season 8, but he was cut in the first Hollywood round. He auditioned for season 10 in San Francisco, California. Upon elimination, he said "Man, I worked so damn hard to get here. And ... God, I was really hoping to get there, but I had a feeling today. ... I did so much stuff that's never been done on this show before. ... In my eyes, in my mind and what I believe is that I did what I came here to do, and that was to give metal a chance. And to bring it and give 110 percent every week!" Then he performed on the stage one more time, singing "Maybe I'm Amazed."

DialIdol predictions came true: Jacob Lusk gets No Air

2011-05-11T17:47:00.000-04:00

DialIdol.com predictions have come true. Last week, Jacob Lusk has finished in a place where I have predicted: fifth place. He has gotten a one-way plane ticket back to Compton, California. His first performance of "No Air", which was orignially recorded as a duet between season 6 winner Jordin Sparks and controversial R&B star Chris Brown. He was in the bottom 2 with Lauren Alaina. His second performance of "Love Hurts" was a lot better.

Jacob Lusk ranks at no. 4 among my all-time favorites, being ranked between season 4 finalist Vonzell Solomon and season 2 winner Ruben Studdard. Upon elimination, he sang the Luther Vandross classic "A House Is Not a Home", a performance that earned him a spot in the top 13. His Hollywood round performance of "God Bless the Child" was considered by Randy Jackson to be the best performance ever. He will bring something new to the music industry as well as bring back the style of Luther Vandross. The top 4 will bring nothing new to the music industry.

This week I will vote for James Durbin. To vote for him, dial 1-866-436-5701 or 1-866-436-5705.

My prediction is that Haley Reinhart will go home this week. Lauren Alaina will get third place. Scotty McCreery will be the runner-up, and James Durbin will be crowned the tenth American Idol.

Dialdol predicts that Jacob Lusk goes home

2011-05-05T17:47:00.000-04:00

Since top 13 week, Jacob Lusk has been receiving low raw numbers on DialIdol. Power rankings since top 7 week rank him in last place, but he has had miracles up his sleave. He has been going circles in the bottom 3. After top 11 week, he has been blasted on the Internet, mainly criticizing him for allegedly having an attitude like that of an arrogant diva. Since top 9 week, DialIdol.com has been posting updates saying that his DialIdol score has been inflated, as was Ta-Tynisa Wilson and Julie Zorrilla back in top 24 week.

Casey Abram's Idol spell has been broken

2011-05-04T01:05:00.003-04:00

Last week, much to the disappointment of his fans, it was the end of the road for Casey Abrams, and there is no way around it, because someone has to go home every week until it is down to two. On the week of his elimination, he sang "Hi Dee Ho" by Carole King giving that jazzy feel showing what a true musician he is. Ryan Seacrest warned the viewers that many fans would be disappointed with the results. Back in top 11 week, Abrams was saved by the judges, but Pia Toscano is more worthy of the judges' save.

Casey Abrams was born to Pam Pierce and Ira Abrams on February 12, 1991, in Austin Texas, thus one day older than season 7 semifinalist Alexandréa Lushington, who should have made the top 12 instead of Kristy Lee Cook. He spent his early years in Evanston, Illinois, then in Wilmette, Illinois, where he attended McKenzie Elementary School. He auditioned for season 10 in Austin, Texas. Two days before he was to perform for the top 24 semifinal round, he suffered severe stomach pains and was rushed to the hospital. He was well enough to participate on the performance show, but due to his illness, he missed the top 13 results show, where Ashthon Jones was eliminated.

Meanwhile, my season 10 favorite Jacob Lusk began the performance show with "Oh No Not My Baby", which was written by Carole King and originally recorded by Maxine Brown, and the judges really loved his performance and he made the top 5, thus reaching my expectations. However, this week is likely his time to go home, but he earned a spot in the top 5. Seasons 3, 7, and 8 are the only seasons where my favorite finalist did not make the top 5, who are Jennifer Hudson, Chikezie Eze, and Jasmine Murray respectively. If Jacob Lusk gets eliminated, I will vote for James Durbin.

This week, the contestanst sing songs from the last few years and then from the 1960s or 1970s. To vote for Jacob Lusk, dial either 1-866-436-5702 or 1-866-436-5707.

End of the road for Wildcard Stefano Langone

2011-04-26T01:29:00.001-04:00

Last week, after 53,000,000 votes being cast, it was the end of the road for Stefano Langone, with a finish of 7th place. Langone, who hails from Kent, Washington, butched the Ne-Yo hit "Closer." He was in the bottom 3 with Jacob Lusk and Haley Reinhart. Earlier in the results show, American Idol winner David Cook performed his latest single, "The Last Goodbye." Jacob Lusk performed "Dance With My Father" as a tribute to the late great Luther Vandross and to his late father Gregory Lusk, who died when Lusk was 12 years old.

Stefano Langone was born to Carrie and Ernie Langone in Bellevue, Washington, on February 27, 1989. His father is a career advisor at The Art Institute of Seattle and is also a singer and musician. Langone is half Spanish and half Italian. He has been singing and playing the piano since childhood. He attended Emerald Park Elementary School, Meridian Junior High School, then Kentwood High School in Covington, Washington, and then Bellevue College. During his time at Bellevue College, he performed with the college's vocal jazz group called 'Celebration!'. He once collaborated with friend and local rapper and author P. Smith to record hip hop music.

Langone and the rest of the top 11 will participate in the 2011 American Idols Live Tour. He is my third favorite of season 10's top 13. If Jacob Lusk gets voted off, I will pull for James Durbin.

End of the road for Paul McDonald; Jacob Lusk has a rap sheet

2011-04-20T00:32:00.002-04:00

Last week, on American Idol season 10, it has been the end of the road for early favorite Paul McDonald. He is the first male finalist to be eliminated from the competition in season 10. He has landed in eighth place. He is my least favorite of the top 13, and my favorite contestant Jacob Lusk was not in the bottom three that week. McDonald was the first to perform on the performance show that night. The theme was Songs from the Movies. On that night, McDonald performed "Old Time Rock and Roll" by Bob Seger, featured in the film Risky Business. He was in the bottom three with Haley Reinhart and Stefano Langone. Since 2005, he has been the lead singer of the band Highband Tides, which is now known as The Grand Magnolias as of 2010. Earlier in the results show, Kelly Clarkson, the first American Idol, duetted with Jason Aldean. Later that night, Rihanna performed "California King Bed." This week, Jacob Lusk performed "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" by Simon & Garfunkel, featured in the film The Pursuit of Happyness.

William Paul McDonald was originally from Auburn, Alabama. According to his mother Susan McDonald, was born in the East Medical Center Hospital in Opelika, Alabama, on August 29, 1984. He auditioned for American Idol season 10 in Nashville, Tennessee, with Rod Stewart's "Maggie May."

My season 10 favorite Jacob Lusk has a rap sheet. At the time of American Idol season 8, he was cited for getting on the Los Angeles metro train without buying a ticket. He got an arrest warrant when he failed to show up in court. On the day after he got his golden ticket to Hollywood earlier in season 10, he spent three days in jail and was ordered two years of probation. However, he begged the judge to terminate his probation, and his wish was granted, and off to the show he went.

This week, the top 7 perform songs from the 21st century, that is, songs published since the year 2000. On this week's results show, American Idol winner David Cook performs as well as pop star Katy Perry. I think either Haley Reinhart or Stefano Langone is going home. If Jacob Lusk goes home, I will vote for Stefano Langone.

American Idol shocker: Don't you forget about Pia Toscano

2011-04-12T00:46:00.002-04:00

Last week, the the judges, the audience, and the viewers including myself have witnessed what American Idol calls the most shocking elimination in American Idol history. Despite high praise from the judges, the balladeer Pia Toscano got controversially eliminated from the competition, to the shock of the judges, the studio audience, and millions of viewers, scoring ninth place. She was standing there sandwiched between two guys in the bottom three with her: Jacob Lusk and Stefano Lagone. Shortly before her elimination, Jacob Lusk was cleared for the top 8. Pia Toscano was an early favorite and a judges' favorite. On the week of her elimination, she sang "River Deep—Mountain HIgh" by Ike and Tina Turner.

Pia Ann Rose Toscano was born on October 14, 1988. She is of Italian descent. She was born and raised in Howard Beach, New York. She began to perform at talent shows at the age of four, and by the age of nine, she performed in a local church production of "Jesus Christ Superstar." She was the official National Anthem singer in her middle school, P.S./M.S. 207, and she performed at every school event including graduation ceremonies. Toscano was also the opening act for the band called Barenaked Ladies and performed with Josh Groban at Madison Square Garden.

Before her time on American Idol, Toscano worked as a makeup artist and as a wedding singer in the band called "Current Affair." Her musical influences include Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Etta James, and the late Luther Vandross.

Toscano originally auditioned for American Idol season 6, but she was cut before the top 40. In 2010, she auditioned for American Idol season 10 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and this time she made it through to the voting rounds. During the semifinals, she impressed the judges with her rendition of "I'll Stand By You", receiving a standing ovation and earning her a spot in the top 13.

On the night after her elimination, Toscano performed on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Last Monday, she performed on Live with Regis and Kelly. Rumor has it that she fell in love with Dancing with the Stars professional dancer Mark Ballas.

This week the top 8 will perform songs from the motion pictures. I predict that either Paul McDonald or Stefano Langone will be eliminated, but Haley Reinhart is also on the chopping block. Here is how I predict the top 8 will be placed:

Winner: James Durbin
Runner-up: Scotty McCreery
Third Place: Casey Abrams
Fourth Place: Lauren Alaina
Fifth Place: Jacob Lusk
Sixth Place: Haley Reinhart
Seventh Place: Paul McDonald
Eighth Place: Stefano Langone

Double Elimination: Farewell to Naima Adedapo and Thia Megia

2011-04-05T23:20:00.003-04:00

Last week, as a result of saving Casey Abrams the week before, two American Idol finalists have been sent home. It was curtains for the reggae singer Naima Adedapo and the high school student Thia Megia. Naima Adedapo got critiqued by the judges for her reggae style performance of the Elton John hit "I'm Still Standing." Thia Megia was voted off after a less than stellar performance of "Daniel." During the results show, American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino from season 3 performed her latest single. Earler in the results show, Naima Adedapo dueted with my season 10 favorite Jacob Lusk performing the Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson duet "Solid as a Rock." The good news is that those two girls will go on tour with the rest of the top 11.

Four girls have been eliminated in a row. Therefore, this may be evidence of the teenybopper vote effect. Pia Toscano is probably immune to the teenybopper vote, but she should not rely on ballads alone.

This week, the top 9 finalists perform under the theme "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." Will.i.am helped the finalists chose their songs for this week. American Idol season 4 finalist Constantine Maroulis will perform the song "Unchained Melody." during this week's results show. I predict that either Paul McDonald or Stefano Langone will go home. If Jacob Lusk goes home, I will vote for Stefano Langone.

Casey Abrams is saved by the judges; a top 11 tour

2011-03-29T23:06:00.001-04:00

Last week, 20-year-old unlikely sex symbol Casey Abrams, who auditioned in Austin, Texas, was saved by the judges. On that week, he kicked off the night performing "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", which was originally recorded by Gladys Knight and the Pips and made popular by Marvin Gaye. He was in the bottom three with Stefano Langone and Thia Megia. He chose to use his audition song, the Ray Charles song "I Don't Need No Doctor", and midtune, Randy Jackson stopped the performance and come to a quick unanimous decision. Jennifer Lopez told Abrams and the crowd, "We were wondering when we heard the results, 'Why is Casey at the bottom?' We don't know. You deserve to be here." The judges promptly invoked the save on Abrams, and Abrams sincerely thanked Steven Tyler.

The results show featured guest performances by Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson. Jennifer Hudson performed her latest single, "Where You At", from her sophomore album "I Remember Me." Jacob Lusk's performance of "You All I Need to Get By" was the best performance of last week.

Abrams' near-elimination was not the only surprise of the show. The bad news is that this week, on Elton John week, two contestants will be eliminated. The good news is that all 11 remaining contestants will be participating in this year's American Idol summer tour. During this week's results show, the musical guests will be Jamie Foxx and American Idol winner Fantasia from season 3.

Pia Toscano broke her promise by relying on ballads alone. Jacob Lusk has done a standout performance of the Elton John song "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word", which was covered by Mary J. Blige, one of my favorite R&B artists, last decade. He met and posed with Mary J. Blige during the rehearsal. My prediction is that Stefano Langone and Thia Megia will go home this week.

Don't you forget about Karen Rodriguez; Stefano Langone has a rap sheet

2011-03-22T22:36:00.001-04:00

Last week, an even dozen became an odd dozen as Karen Rodriguez bids adieu to American Idol. She is the second coming of the late Tejano singer Selena. After being voted into the bottom three a second time, alongside two other female finalists, Haley Reinhart and Naima Adedapo, she got eliminated into twelfth place, leaving those two cleared for the top 11. When Rodriguez attempted Taylor Dayne's "Love Will Lead You Back" which impressed Steven Tyler, she found out that she had the lowest number of votes and would have to sing for the judges' save. In an attempt to claim the judges' save, she belted out a bilingual performance of Mariah Carey's "Hero" that earned her a standing ovation on top 24 week. As she teared up following the performance, she said "It just felt great to have at least one more chance. I can do so much better, and I know you guys believe in me." I also think Jasmine Murray can perform so much better than she did on American Idol season 8.

Unfortunately, Randy Jackson told Rodriguez that the judges chose not to exercise the judges' save on her, but unlike the previous week's decision on Ashthon Jones, the judges' vote was not unanimous. With the departures of Jones and Rodriguez, who will be missing out on American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011 along with the next cast-off, American Idol season 10 is left with 6 male contestants, none of which have yet to be voted into the bottom 3, and 5 female contestants. My prediction is that all the male contestants of the top 13 will be included on American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011 along with four female contestants.

Also, Stefano Langone has a rap sheet. Before he was on American Idol, he was first arrested for possession of marijuana. Second, in 2009, he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, with the blood alcohol being way above the legal limit.

Tomorrow night, the top 11 will take on classic Motown songs.

Ashthon Jones goes the way of Leah LaBelle

2011-03-12T19:59:00.000-05:00

On the night before yesterday, a baker's dozen became an even dozen as Ashthon Jones, my second favorite and early favorite of season 10, has become the third Wild Card finalist to get the first boot in the finals and goes back to Goodlettsville, Tennessee. When she learned that she is the first finalist to be voted off, she broke down in tears. She was in the bottom three with Karen Rodriguez, who is the second coming of Selena, and my least favorite season 10 finalist Haley Reinahrt. I hope Haley Reinhart is the next to go. I hope Ashthon Jones makes her mark in the music industry and that America will forgive her in the long run. Ashthon Jones is a fantastic singer. She is just as great as the rest of the top 13. Last week, she made the top 13 as a wild card pick by Randy Jackson. However, this is not the end for her, as she will go high speed ahead for her music career.

Ashthon Jones was born to Michelle Anderson on February 27, 1986, in Valdosta, Georgia. She moved to Goodlettsville, Tennessee at the age of 12. As a child, she attended W.G. Nunn Elementary School. Her father died when she was 14. Before she was on American Idol, she worked as a retail manager in Nashville, Tennessee. She auditioned there with the Faith Hill song "Like We Never Loved at All." Her musical influences are Diana Ross, Mary Mary, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Monica, and The Clark Sisters.

My all-time favorite Jasmine Murray from season 8 received the same two years ago and also broke down in tears. Jasmine cried much heavier tears than Ashthon. They are both highly underrated. Ashthon Jones is in my top 36.

Jacob Lusk makes the top 13

2011-03-07T16:15:00.004-05:00

On the first results show of American Idol season 10, on the night of March 4, 2011, the top 13 has been revealed, with 11 contestants being voted off. Season 10 is the second season to feature a top 13. 10 finalists were chosen by the public and 3 finalists were chosen by the judges

Top 13 of season 10 is as follows (alphabetically by last name):

Casey Abrams
Naima Adedapo (wild card, Steven Tyler's choice)
Lauren Alaina
James Durbin
Ashthon Jones (wild card, Randy Jackson's choice)
Stefano Langone (wild card, Jennifer Lopez's choice)
Jacob Lusk
Scotty McCreery
Paul McDonald
Thia Megia
Haley Reinhart
Karen Rodriguez
Pia Toscano

I am pulling for Jacob Lusk. I hope he at least makes the top 10, and Jasmine Murray is a once-in-a-lifetime incident. I predict that either Casey Abrams or Lauren Alaina will win. I predict that Haley Reinhart will land in 13th place.

Here is how I rank the top 13:

1. Jacob Lusk
2. Ashthon Jones
3. Naima Adedapo
4. Karen Rodriguez
5. Casey Abrams
6. Stefano Langone
7. James Durban
8. Pia Toscano
9. Lauren Alaina
10. Thia Megia
11. Scotty McCreery
12. Paul McDonald
13. Haley Reinhart

American Idol Season 10: Here Is Your Top 24

2011-02-24T22:40:00.001-05:00

Here is the top 24 of American Idol season 10:

Male Contestants (alphabetically by last name)
Casey Abrams
Jovany Barreto
Jordan Dorsey
James Durban
Clint Jun Gamboa
Tim Halprin
Stefano Langone
Brett Loewenstern
Jacob Lusk
Scotty McCreery
Paul McDonald
Robbie Rosen

Female Contestants
Naima Adedapo
Kendra Chantelle Campbell
Ashthon Jones
Thia Megia
Haley Reinhart
Karen Rodriguez
Lauren Alaina Suddeth
Pia Toscano
Lauren Turner
Ta-Tynisa Wilson
Rachel Zevita
Julie Zorilla

Top 13
I think the following will make the top 13:

Casey Abrams
Naima Adedapo
Jovany Barreto
Ashthon Jones
Brett Loewenstern
Jacob Lusk
Paul McDonald
Thia Megia
Scotty McCreery (wild card)
Karen Rodriguez
Lauren Alaina Suddeth
Ta-Tynisa Wilson (wild card)
Julie Zorilla (wild card)

American Idol Season 10: Hollywood Rounds 2 and 3 Recap

2011-02-23T15:38:00.000-05:00

In American Idol season 10, 327 contestants made it to Hollywood. In the first Hollywood round, the judges narrowed it down to 168. In the dramatic second Hollywood round, which is the group round, the judges narrowed it down to 101. The group round is the most dramatic Hollywood round. One controversial move is that Jordan Dorsey changed groups, sparking controversy among American Idol viewers. He turned down Scott McCreery and several others. He defected from the group 440 and formed the group Four Plus One. In the third Hollywood, the judges narrowed it down to 60. Jacqueline Dunford withdrew from the competition in this round. I have been so impressed with Jacob Lusk's performance in that round. Another stand performance was from Ashthon Jones. After that comes the Vegas round, which is an addition for American Idol season 10.

American Idol season 10 Hollywood round 1 recap

2011-02-14T17:59:00.000-05:00

327 contestants made it to Hollywood on American Idol season 10, compared to less than 200 in the previous seasons. The first Hollywood round of season 10 is different from that of the previous seasons. Unlike the previous seasons, there is no judges feedback in the first Hollywood round, and it is either go big or go home, thus sudden death. In the first Hollywood round, the judges narrowed the contestants down from 327 to 168.

The first Hollywood began with Brett Loewenstern, the 15-year-old social outcast who auditioned in New Orleans. He nailed "Let It Be", and the judges smiled for the performance. After he made it through, he vowed that he was moving on from being a social outcast.

22-year-old New Yorker Rachel Zevita, who originally auditioned for season 6, went from zero to hero. She was confident and feisty and performed "Warwick Avenue", and the judges were surprised and impressed.

American Idol season 10 Hollywood round

2011-02-10T15:32:00.001-05:00

Tonight, the Hollywood round begins for American Idol season 10. Over 300 contestants made it to Hollywood on American Idol season 10, compared to less than 200 in the previous seasons, but only 20 will be chosen to compete in this season, and only one will be crowned the tenth American Idol. In New Jersey, we got the hard-luck Bronx tale of Travis Orlando. In New Orleans, we got the jazzy music teacher Jordan Dorsey, the J. Lo fanatic Jovany Barreto, and the social outcast Brett Loewenstern, as well as 15-year-old Lafayette native Jaycee Badeaux. The Milwaukee auditions gave us country crooner Scott McCreery, soul sister Naima Adedapo, bar mitzvah soul singer Jerome Bell, and a stellar 15-year-old girl Thia Megia. It also yielded the emotional story of Chris Medina. The auditions came to a dramatic conclusion with hard-luck 21-year-old father James Durbin, Colombian exile Julie Zorrilla, and car crash survivor Stefano Lagone.

My ranking of all 107 American Idol finalists

2011-01-27T17:16:00.003-05:00

My full American Idol finalist rankings:

#1: Jasmine Murray
#2: Chikezie Eze
#3: Vonzell Solomon
#4: Ruben Studdard
#5: Trenyce
#6: Ricky Smith
#7: Lil Rounds
#8: Nikko Smith
#9: Charles Grigsby
#10: Jordin Sparks
#11: Jennifer Hudson
#12: Anoop Desai
#13: Syesha Mercado
#14: Michael Lynche
#15: David Archuleta
#16: Paige Miles
#17: Elliott Yamin
#18: Tamyra Gray
#19: David Hernandez
#20: Fantasia
#21: Christina Christian
#22: Justin Guarini
#23: Matt Giraud
#24: Jorge Núñez
#25: Sanjaya Malakar
#26: Mandisa
#27: Lisa Tucker
#28: David Cook
#29: George Huff
#30: Adam Lambert
#31: Scott MacIntyre
#32: Michael Johns
#33: Clay Aiken
#34: Carrie Underwood
#35: Melinda Doolittle
#36: Kris Allen
#37: RJ Helton
#38: Blake Lewis
#39: LaToya London
#40: Paris Bennett
#41: Kelly Clarkson
#42: Anwar Robinson
#43: LaKisha Jones
#44: Allison Iraheta
#45: Kimberley Locke
#46: Brandon Rogers
#47: Jasmine Trias
#48: Stephanie Edwards
#49: Chris Daughtry
#50: Andrew Garcia
#51: Casey James
#52: Katie Stevens
#53: Brooke White
#54: Crystal Bowersox
#55: Constantine Maroulis
#56: Chris Richardson
#57: Nadia Turner
#58: Scott Savol
#59: Lee DeWyze
#60: Kristy Lee Cook
#61: Taylor Hicks
#62: Aaron Kelly
#63: Lindsay Cardinale
#64: Kimberly Caldwell
#65: Carmen Rasmusen
#66: Leah LaBelle
#67: Kellie Pickler
#68: Jessica Sierra
#69: Danny Gokey
#70: Gina Glocksen
#71: Mikalah Gordon
#72: Carly Smithson
#73: Jason Castro
#74: Amanda Overmyer
#75: Ramiele Malubay
#76: Camille Velasco
#77: Phil Stacey
#78: Corey Clark
#79: Anthony Federov
#80: Siobhan Magnus
#81: Katharine McPhee
#82: Ace Young
#83: Josh Gracin
#84: Bo Bice
#85: Diana DeGarmo
#86: Haley Scarnato
#87: Melissa McGhee
#88: Ryan Starr
#89: A.J. Gil
#90: Jim Verraros
#91: John Stevens
#92: EJ Day
#93: Kevin Covais
#94: Tim Urban
#95: Jon Peter Lewis
#96: Amy Adams
#97: Matthew Rogers
#98: Chris Sligh
#99: Julia DeMato
#100: Michael Sarver
#101: Bucky Covington
#102: Didi Benami
#103: Megan Joy
#104: Alexis Grace
#105: Lacey Brown
#106: Vanessa Olivarez
#107: Nikki McKibbin

American Idol season 10 begins tomorrow night

2011-01-19T00:21:00.001-05:00

American Idol season 10 premieres on Wednesday, January 19, 2011. This season will be unlike season 9 in several ways. First of all the panel of judges will be markedly different. Randy Jackson is the only returning judge, now that Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres, and Kara DioGuardi left the judging panel. The two new judges are Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez. The middle rounds have also changed. First is the audition round, and then the Hollywood Round, then the Las Vegas round, then the Sing for Your Life round, then the green mile round, and finally the live rounds. The first audition episode, which is two hours, will cover the New York and New Jersey auditions, followed by the one-hour second audition episode, which covers the New Orleans auditions. According to Joe's Place, the top 40 are already chosen, but the top 20 is not yet revealed.

The live rounds begin March 1, 2011. The first week is semifinal week, which will air Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The male contestants will perform on Tuesday, then the female contestants on Wednesday, and the Results and Wild Card show on Thursday. Ten finalists will be chosen by the American public, and two or three finalists will be chosen by the judges.

TZ Doctrine tenet #21: Truth and honesty are superior to profit and political correctness

2010-12-21T22:57:00.000-05:00

It is unethical to put financial gain and political correctness ahead of truth and honesty. Our society has been blinded by political correctness, and many corporations have been blinded by financial gain. There has been a feminised education system, a criminal justice system that unjustly favors the female sex, laws enacted based on financial gain rather than common sense, and corporations that put profit before human safety and common sense. Western society is very dishonest, unequal, and unjust. I am unhappy with the current educational system that disproportionately favors female students instead of male students. An education system like that has a disastrous ripple effect. The idea of a feminised education system is maladaptive and unnatural. I do not condone misandry, or double standards or moral defamation against the male sex.

Solving problems is not accomplished by arrogance, censorship, false pride, political correctness, or monetary greed. If we want to create an honest, equal, and just society, we must be objective and truthful, and not let one another be biased by self-promoting motives.

Jennifer Grey wins DWTS season 11

2010-12-05T16:02:00.000-05:00

On November 23, 2010, Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Elise Grey, who was born in New York City on March 20, 1960, is the 11th champion of Dancing With the Stars, thus winning the mirrorball trophy. The runner-up is rapper and Disney star Kyle Massey from Atlanta, Georgia, whom I voted for after R&B singer Brandy got eliminated the week before. I am glad the controversial political figure Bristol Palin finished in third place. Jennifer Grey got a judges' score of 118, and Kyle Massey got a judges' score of 110, and Bristol Palin got a judges' score of 97. Brandy should have been in the finals instead of Bristol. If Brandy were in the finals, Kyle would have finished in third place. At the finale Brandy performed her week 5 quickstep performance a third time. Now there is Skating With the Stars, and on that show, I am pulling for Brandon Mychal Smith.

Here is how Dancing With the Stars season 11 went:

Winner: Jennifer Grey
Runner-up: Kyle Massey
Third Place: Bristol Palin
Fourth Place: Brandy Norwood
Fifth Place: Kurt Warner
Sixth Place: Rick Fox
Seventh Place: Audrina Patridge
Eighth Place: Florence Henderson
Ninth Place: Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino
Tenth Place: Margaret Cho
Eleventh Place: Michael Bolton
Twelfth Place: David Hasselhoff

Here is how Dancing With the Stars season 11 should have went:

Winner: Jennifer Grey
Runner-up: Brandy Norwood
Third Place: Kyle Massey
Fourth Place: Rick Fox
Fifth Place: Audrina Patridge
Sixth Place: Kurt Warner
Seventh Place: Florence Henderson
Eighth Place: Bristol Palin
Ninth Place: Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino
Tenth Place: Margaret Cho
Eleventh Place: Michael Bolton
Twelfth Place: David Hasselhoff

Dancing With the Stars shocker: Brandy gets brokenhearted and voted off

2010-11-22T21:47:00.001-05:00

Last week, the most shocking elimination in Dancing With the Stars history happened on Tuesday night. R&B singer Brandy Norwood, my all-time favorite star in Dancing With the Stars, got voted off in favor of a worser dancer Bristol Palin, while the audience booed and the judges were shocked. Thanks to the Tea Party that Bristol Palin made the finals. The Tea Party jammed the phone lines to stage Brandy's elimination. Brandy is clearly the better dancer than Bristol. A 67-year-old Wisconsin man shot at the television on the moment Tom Bergeron announced Brandy's elimination. This is one of my most shocking reality TV moments ever, but it is not as shocking as Jasmine Murray's elimination on American Idol season 8. If Briston Palin, there will be a huge uproar. The majority of viewers were shocked at Brandy's elimination, and the credibility of Dancing With the Stars has gone into question.