The Unofficial Danny Gokey FanSite |  |
- Fab Photos of the Fab Four
- Favorite Simon Memories
- Not all ‘Idol’ hometown visits are created equal
- Top 3 song choices revealed!
- Michael Lynche looks back on his time in ‘La-La Land’
- Why Big Mike was sent home
- Casey and the Cougar? It would cost him …
| Posted: 14 May 2010 08:33 PM PDT It was an exciting week on American Idols ninth season as Casey James, Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze, and Michael Lynche sang Songs from the Movies and they were mentored by triple threat Jamie Foxx. On Wednesday, two amazing American Idol alumni who only need to go by one name Fantasia and Daughtry returned to the stage to perform. To top it all off, Bon Jovi rocked the house with Superman Tonight. Unfortunately, one Idol finalist had to go home, and it was Big Mike. View photos from the Top 4 shows.
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| Posted: 14 May 2010 08:33 PM PDT As you know, Simon Cowells last day with American Idol is just a week and a half away. Hes been with the show for the first nine seasons, and has created many memorable moments over the years. Post your favorite Simon memories and see what other fans shared:
See some of Simons finest moments of the season in our Moments That Make You Smile.
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| Not all ‘Idol’ hometown visits are created equal Posted: 14 May 2010 08:32 PM PDT Crystal Bowersox, Casey James and Lee DeWyze are all making the hometown rounds on Friday. Having advanced to the Top 3, only one elimination away from the Season 9 finale, it's their moment to rejoice, take it all in, give thanks to those who've voted with passion and regularity and relish in hometown pride. Recalling his hometown visit to Seattle in 2007, Season 6 runner-up Blake Lewis describes it as "the most stressful 48 hours ever. It was nonstop. They had the schedule so tight, I was in a parade, like, 'Holy crap, who are all these people?' It's crazy because it's the first time you get out of the 'Idol' Season 9's final three also have a jam-packed day that includes early morning TV, radio interviews, performances all over town, a parade and appearances at a local AT&T store or baseball game (MJ's has their hour-by-hour schedules). Crystal was welcomed by a giant crowd at Ohio's Ottawa County fairgrounds on Friday afternoon, where she performed a couple of her own songs. This followed a parade and several smaller gigs, including one at her favorite Toledo dive, Papa's Tavern. Similarly, Casey is going for 12 hours straight in his home city of Fort Worth, and Lee threw out the first pitch at the Chicago Cubs game, in addition to school visits and several performances. He even answered the phone at the paint shop where he used to work. But not all hometown visits are created equal. Kimberley Locke, who was No. 3 on Season 2 and traveled back to Nashville in 2003, remembers feeling like her video package didn't have the hysteria of Clay Aiken's or Ruben Studdard's. "My hometown visit was nothing like that of Clay and Ruben's," she tells Idol Tracker. "But when I went back home to see the people that saw me through so much.… The people who cared were the people who showed up. They were able to walk down memory lane with me way back to when I first started singing. And they were able to say, 'You know what? I remember when … '" Kimberley, who now lives in L.A., reasons that Nashville is very much a music town with scores of country artists to get excited about every day, so there was the genre challenge as well as the inherent jadedness of an industry city. You could say the same of Katharine McPhee's hometown visit in Season 5. Her appearance at Sherman Oaks' Notre Dame High School felt forced, and when compared to Taylor Hicks' hero's welcome in Birmingham, Ala., you'd think she was from a small town. Ditto for Adam Lambert's trip home to San Diego last year, which wasn't exactly sparsely attended, but considering his popularity then and now, seems more like a concert that undersold. Watch the clip of his performance at Mount Carmel High School and you'll notice very few pans of the crowd, though Adam did have a bikini-clad female fan practically throw herself at him (see video below). So why the disparity in hometown mania? Could it have less to do with the city and more with the contestants? After all, each of these examples ended up losing. Discuss! – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Top photo: Season 9 contestant Lee DeWyze appears at the AT&T store
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| Posted: 14 May 2010 08:32 PM PDT As is customary on "American Idol" hometown visits, the Final 3 were given one of their song assignments for next week: the judges' choice. For Lee DeWyze, Simon Cowell chose Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," which has been heard on the "Idol" stage more than once (and perhaps most memorably by Jason Castro). Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi handed Casey James John Mayer's "Daughters," which, in actuality, may be a better fit for Lee. And finally, Crystal Bowersox will be singing "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney, which has all sorts of potential for awesomeness — good pick, Ellen DeGeneres! What do you think of the judges' choices? Which song would you have picked for your favorite Idol to sing one week before the finale? – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Photo: Season's 9's final three Lee DeWyze, left, Casey James and Crystal Bowersox. Credit: Michael Becker / PictureGroup/Fox
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| Michael Lynche looks back on his time in ‘La-La Land’ Posted: 14 May 2010 08:32 PM PDT – Shirley Halperin Photo credit: Michael Becker/Fox/PictureGroup Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter
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| Posted: 14 May 2010 08:32 PM PDT Another former front-runner saw his "American Idol" dream cut short this week. Michael Lynche, who was long considered a contender for the crown, only made it as far as fourth place on Season 9, and that was after a judges' save in Week 7. Yet, he's also often cited as having the strongest male voice of this year's competition, so what happened? In this blogger's opinion, it came down to two key moments: The save, which almost instantly took him out of the running — comeback story or not, it stands to reason that America might have had a hard time living with an "American Idol" who was ostensibly already sent home. And then there was Big Mike's chat with Ryan Seacrest just before his movie night performance of Michael Jackson's "Will You Be There." That was when Mike explained his goal to make it into the Top 3 (Ellen DeGeneres would later take him to task for that admission, contending that he should've been in it to win). Almost in the same breath, Mike also gave a shout out to his Florida hometown, pointing a finger and telling the residents of St. Petersburg that he's headed their way. I believe it was precisely this presumption — that he would "bring it home" — that may have cost him the Top 3 slot, because he certainly didn't have the weakest vocal of the week (that honor would have to go to Lee DeWyze). Some might say Mike was calculated in his "American Idol" run — he was a fan of the show, studied it, knew who sang what in past seasons, and even kept a running list of some 200 songs that he could pick at the drop of a theme week hat. Mike sort of admitted that himself in a call with reporters on Thursday morning: "I wanted to have a warrior's mentality while I was in the competition," he said. "I took the approach of having a game plan, sticking to that game plan, no matter how the wind blows, and also being able to adapt and change the plan as the game goes on. That was the approach I took, and it served me well up until this point." Granted, fourth place out of 100,000-plus isn't all that shabby. It was where alumni favorites like Allison Iraheta and Jason Castro went out. And, as Randy Jackson reminded Mike soon after his goodbye, "Daughtry got eliminated at 4." The judge's advice to Season 9's soul man? "To just keep going," Mike recounted. "I've got a chance to be special…. It's not a bad place to be where I am." So why was Mike's strategy perceived as cockiness? Did "Idol" viewers feel the same way when Taylor Hicks consistently wowed the studio audience and home viewers alike? David Cook was another competitor who played — and planned — the game (brilliantly, it should be noted), as did Adam Lambert, yet few would accuse either of being smug. And truthfully, having met and spent some time with Mike, he seems like a sweet and humble 300-pound guy — who can bench press a whopping 505! — and I'm a little bewildered as to why that doesn't translate. The point being: TV image is supremely important in a competition like "Idol," possibly as much if not more than your true personality, which might explain why some contestants disappoint in post-season meet-and-greets (you know who they are, and they do too). How does Mike explain his early dismissal? "I just think America is a fickle creature, and she's shown that as the competition has gone on," he said. "You just never know. I think I was consistent every week and always gave my heart when I sang. The only thing with giving your heart is, it can get broken, but if it's received well, it can be something really magical, and special." In the end, what matters most is taking advantage of that springboard, no matter where you end up. And in that regard, Mike couldn't have a better attitude. "It didn't happen for me to be in the Top 2 this year, but I'm where I'm supposed to be," he said. "God definitely has a plan for my life, and all of our lives. I don't feel like I let anyone down. I came out and did what I do. But, people just didn't vote that way." What do you think of Mike's elimination? Was his fate sealed with the judges' save back in early April? Why didn't he manage to reach the Final 3 and where do you see his career going from here on out? – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Photo: Michael Lynche hams it up for the cameras backstage at the April 20 performance show. Credit: Michael
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| Casey and the Cougar? It would cost him … Posted: 14 May 2010 08:32 PM PDT "Neither I nor any members of my family or my friends A contestant who violates the rule will forfeit any prize So, Ellen, when "Beautiful – Amy Reiter Photo: Casey James. Credit: Nino Munoz / Fox
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