American Idol Season 6 – Top 6 Part Two

Could it be any more glorious of a night? Jon Bon Jovi is mentoring the contestants and I must admit I am almost drooling at old 80’s footage of the band.  What teenage girl now turned 30 hasn’t sung “You Give Love a Bad Name”, “Wanted Dead or Alive”, “Blaze of Glory”, or “Livin’ on a Prayer”.  Heck, in high school we had a giant poster one of my friends painted from the “Young Guns” movie that had our mascot, a wolverine wielding two guns saying, “Yoo hoo, gonna make you famous”.  Yes, the anthem of “Blaze of Glory” will forever be etched in my memory along with Emilio Estevez as the ultimate western bad boy.  Why can’t things be the way they used to be?  Why can’t we have the 80’s back?  Enough reminiscing, I must focus on my beloved Bon Jovi.  Amazingly they have sold over 120 million albums.  Impressive I must say as Ryan rattles on about their 3,000 concerts and oh yes, how could I forget the Idol Gives Back monies!!  Over 70 million dollars!!  Very, very impressive.  Okay, I love how Jon Bon Jovi introduces himself to them like they don’t know him!  Well, maybe they don’t because some of them are babies.  But still, how sweet and humble of him.

Phil Stacey:  Phil chooses “Blaze of Glory”.  Yeah, I can tell he is going to rock it!  I’m totally relating to Phil singing in the mirror with the comb in his hand.  Come on people, didn’t you ever sing in the mirror with a hairbrush or curling iron?  Oh, pick me!  Pick me!  I totally did!  Phil looks HOT and sounds awesome.  I love it.  He is confident, he believes in himself and for Phil this is 3 weeks in a row of really, really great performances.  Randy is really enjoying Phil.  I am really enjoying Phil.  You know, Phil Stacey deserves to be here next week, he really does.  He is not going home without a serious fight.  Hot, hot, hot!  Randy cracks me up.  He has to put in there that he actually recorded that song with Jon Bon Jovi!  I love it.  Randy is a stud.  Randy thinks it is his best performance ever, it was the bomb and he was Steve Perry on a Bon Jovi song.  Paula tells him that it is the best opening they have had all season along.  Uh oh, I can tell Simon doesn’t agree.  He thought it was just okay.  He didn’t hear any authenticity in it and thought he was a bad actor playing the roll.  Simon doesn’t think he has done enough to last until next week.  Okay, Boooooooooooo Simon.  I so don’t agree with you.  Not at all.  He rocked and deserves to stay.  Simon, I usually agree with you but maybe you got too much sun today. I think Phil did AWESOME!!!!

Jordin Sparks:  Oh my goodness, Jordin is going to tackle “Livin’ On a Prayer”.  Millions of girl’s have had this as their personal anthem.  Okay, I’m laughing because Jordin tells Jon Bon Jovi that her mom will flip.  I’m sure he feels old.  I’m a little nervous for Jordin.  I think song selection might get her in trouble a little bit here.  Jon is impressed with her voice and says he couldn’t sing half that good at 17.  Okay, Jordin is channeling her inner rock goddess. I love her hair.  Uh oh, she is pitchy.  Not good girl.  This is like a hot boy rock band anthem and wasn’t meant to be sung by a spunky girl. You’ve got to give her props for attempting it but this is a sacred song of us voting 80’s children.  Sorry Jordin, I don’t like it.  I can’t like it.  I was wanting more.  Not good.  Well, last week she did amazing so hopefully votes from last week will carry her through to the final 4.  Randy points out it was tough for her, she isn’t a rocker and that the verses were rough.  Randy could tell that she knew it wasn’t her best and respected that at least she knew it.  Paula points out that nobody knows what it is like to be in the workshop process.  Paula gives her credit for going for it and she is hot.  Simon thought the look was something out of the Adam’s Family.  The singing was just out of control, verging on shrieking at times and he felt she absolutely lost control.  He did tell her she was at a massive disadvantage given a boy rock band song to sing but honestly it was just terrible.  At least Jordin has a great attitude and said it was her week to basically “suck” and Ryan loves her candor and honesty.   She does have a great spirit about her!!!

Lakisha “Kiki” Jones:  Lakisha better bring it this week or she’s in big trouble.  At least she can’t pick a former Idol’s song.  Oh Lakisha, I’m not voting for you.  You don’t know who Jon Bon Jovi is????  You saw him on Oprah???  Strike one girl.  But, I will listen with an unbiased ear, kind of.  Jon seems to think she’s not going home this week because of her song choice and vocal abilities.  Ah ha, but she really has blown it the last 2 weeks so she’ll really have to blow it out of the ball park to make up for it.  I think Lakisha was smart to pick a lesser known song called “This Ain’t a Love Song”.  She is passionate and she is selling it. Lakisha is back to herself.  I’m glad for that but girl when you are pitted against Mindy Doo you have got to be consistent.  I’m not blown away but I’m glad for her.  I do like how she sings the end of the song so kudos’ to Lakisha.  Randy points out that Lakisha is back this week.  She’s got something to prove and she did.  By the middle she sold him and the audience and she blew it out of the box.  Paula thought the money in her pocket is her lower range and she gave everybody a little something.  Simon said he could kiss her after that performance and for the love of all that is right and holy he smacks her one right on the lips.  Now he is full of lip gloss and lipstick. I love it!!!  Simon loves that she rose to the challenge, she absolutely nailed it and he is so glad she is back and she has very nice lips.  Sigh, I guess I’m just put under by her last two performances.  We’ll see if she sticks around but I will not be shocked if she goes home.

Blake Lewis: Oh my, Blake is singing “You Give Love a Bad Name”.  Oh, he is singing the mother of all Bon Jovi songs.  The song I wept to in my bedroom.  The song I wore out my tape player on.  The song I rewound and rewound on my VHS tape and watched the video over and over again until I fell asleep in a Bon Jovi trance.  Blake.  You either do it like it is or give it your full bore beat boxin’ spin or else this will be a disaster.  Please Blake, please make us proud because so many of us LOVE you and want to see you continue on but you cannot mess with our high school anthem.  Jon points out it has great charm (the way Blake is doing the song) but he is rolling the dice.  Okay, Blake has dyed his hair and yeah, this is hot.  Blake, I feel it in my bones that you are gonna make some serious Idol history and have a performance we will not soon forget.  He starts it off with some beat boxin’ and me, die hard Bon Jovi wanna be groupie is liking it.  Okay, I’m going to vote a MILLION times.  That was amazing, hot, you should win American Idol with that.  Blake, I love you.  Randy gives him the reward for the most original version on American Idol, he wins, and that was hot.  Paula is so excited she is rambling about a big leap of faith, he put himself out there, Jon had a twinkle in his eye and dug what he was doing, and it was his night.  Bottom line Paula liked him.  Simon pointed out that half the audience will hate it and half will love it.  Simon thought it was absolutely the right thing to do, he is very brave, it was a very massive risk and this is what is going to keep him in the competition next week.  Blake, Blake, Blake, hooray Blake!

Chris Richardson:  Chris is singing “Dead or Alive”.  Chris points out that Chris Daughtry sang it last season but you know what, that is okay in my book. I don’t remember it as one of those popping Idol performances that you should never touch again. I think Chris has great potential to rock this song.  First of all Chris looks amazing and he sounds amazing too.  He is putting himself into it 100%, this kid is going out fighting and I love it.  This has been one great night of Idol that is for sure!  He puts his own sound to it and I like the sound.  He has great stage presence.  I am so glad that Chris Richardson is in this competition.  This is going to be tough to see two people go home tomorrow.  This really is ANYBODY’s win.  Wow, he just did phenomenal. Chris does not want to go home.  Randy said he did his thing, made it his own, added his own R&B and it was super nice.  Paula thought he did a good job and that tonight has turned out to be a great night and he did his thing.  Simon said he did as much as he could possibly do because it’s not his style.  He’s not sure if it was good enough to stay another week.  Well, I think it was.

Melinda Doolittle:  Melinda is singing “Have a Nice Day”, a newer hit of Bon Jovi.  She is hilarious.  She tells Jon she isn’t any good at rock but he points out that she brings soul and tells her she just joined the band and nailed it.  She is hilarious as she tries to do the hand symbol for “rock on”.  She looks great and is doing the rock thing just fine.  I cannot get over how amazing Melinda’s voice is.  The girl, well, she can sing anything and this is no exception.  She’s got good attitude going on and looks like seasoned performer up there.  Melinda, you deserve the American Idol title and you need to win the title.  Blake, you are already a super star.  Oh what to do, what to do.  Who do I vote the most for tonight?  I can't decide between Blake and Melinda!!!  That was HOT!  Randy didn’t think it was her best performance but another solid performance and she was doing a little Tina Turner attitude.  He thought it was hot.  Paula loved it from the first note, she sang her butt off, and told her she was a rock star.  Simon is annoyed at that but tells Melinda that she was like a young Tina Turner and vocally she is just in a different league.

Before Ryan recaps the singers he has a special message for us all.  Wow, President Bush and the First Lady give a taped thank you to America for all the generous donations.  Sweet.  How did American Idol land that!!  So, here is my order for the night.

1.   Blake Lewis

2.   Melinda Doolittle

3.   Phil Stacey

4.   Chris Richardson

5.   Lakisha Jones

6.   Jordin Sparks

This is a tough night.  The only obvious bomb was Jordin.  Everyone else did a pretty amazing job.  Blake, you get top honors for MAJOR risk factor and Melinda you follow-up with a totally rockin’ perfect vocal.  Phil, I had to put you over Chris only because you have consistently nailed your songs for three weeks in a row and continue to walk in confidence and that is so very impressive.  Little J.T., I love you tonight.  You did great on “Wanted Dead or Alive” and to me you sang it to stay in the competition.  Lakisha, you are down on my list only because girl, you are so inconsistent.  Yes you did well tonight but really you should be heading home tomorrow night.  Jordin, it pains me to put you last but girl, it just was not good but your attitude rocks!!!  At this point I don’t want anyone to go home and as far as who deserves to go based on the last two performances I would have to say Lakisha and sigh, Chris Richardson.