American Idol 11 • Top 13 Results

Well, it has finally arrived, the first results show of the season. After weeks of watching auditions, good and bad, followed by the Hollywood rounds and the semifinals, it is finally time for the audience to send someone home... Or is it? That's right, the voters are only getting the chance to pick the bottom two, and then the judges will decide who is safe, and which contestant will end their Idol journey tonight.



After a quick review of the performances from last night, Steven, Randy and Jennifer are introduced, followed by Crusty. He tells us the Season 1- runner up, Lauren Alaina will sing tonight, as well as the first mentor, Mary J Blige. But before they get down to any business, we get the first group number of the season, as the kids all get together to sing Stevie Wonder's 1977 As. The song is off the iconic album Songs In The Key of Life.



You can find Stevie's album on iTunes and Amazon.

That was followed by the first Ford Music Video of the season. The kids all get to sing the great song Big Time, Peter Gabriel's huge hit from 1986.



Jessica, Elise and Hollie are called to center stage, First, we hear from Jimmy Iovine, and he tells us he thinks Elise is in trouble. He thinks Hollie is safe, as is Jessica. Back to the action, Crusty tells us Jessica is safe. So is Hollie, and Elise is in the bottom three. Crusty quickly moves on, and calls Heejun, Jermaine and Colton to the stage. Jimmy I doesn't like what Heejun did with the song. He likes Colton, but isn't sure if he is Pop or Rock singer. Jimmy also felt that Jermaine overthought the song, and it suffered. Colton is safe, and then Heejun is safe, so Jermaine is in the bottom three for the ladies. Crusty tells us that after the commercial break, Lauren Alaina will be joining him on stage.



In an interesting aside, during this first commercial break there is the latest ad for Kohl's department store featuring Jennifer Lopez, singing the 1974 hit for KiKi Dee, I've Got The Music In Me. For me, it showcases the thinness and brittleness of her voice.



Soon it is time to introduce Lauren, who has played concert dates with big Country names like Jason Aldean. She will be performing her second hit off her debut album Wildflowers. The song is Georgia Peaches.



You can find her album, Wildflowers, on iTunes and Amazon.

Back to the action, Shannon, Erika and Skylar are on stage with Crusty. Jimmy I thinks Erika sang it well, but the presentation is iffy. He also made sure everyone knew it was nerves that conquered Shannon last night, and everyone thinks Skylar did well. Erika is sent to join Elise in the bottom, along with Shannon. Skylar goes to safety. Once again Crusty calls a group to join him. Joshua, Deandre, Phillip and Jeremy are there, and Jimmy I feels that people could tire of Joshua's voice, and that Deandre was good and should be safe. He loves Philip, but fears the ladies can out-sing him. This leaves Jeremy, and Jimmy I thinks he will be leaving tonight. Crusty gives the results, and Phillip is safe, and Jeremy is in the bottom 3. With one slot left, Joshua is in the bottom, and Deandre is safe. Before the break, Crusty fools everyone by announcing that Erika and Joshua are safe, leaving Elise and Shannon, as well as Jeremy and Jermaine, still to learn of their fate tonight.



Crusty introduces one of my favorite singers from recent years, Mary J. Blige. She sings Why?, from her album My Life II: The Journey Continues. It is amazing.



Yes, she was brilliant live. These kids could all learn from her. You can find Mary J Blige's album on iTunes and Amazon.

So Crusty has Elise and Shannon, as well as Jeremy and Jermaine, and we discover that Steven Tyler thinks Jeremy is going home. Crusty tells Jermaine he is safe. We learn that Shannon is safe, leaving Elise in the bottom. It is now up to the judges to decide who is going home. Randy isn't sure America got it quite right, but is OK with it. They will take the commercial break to decide. We know Steven will vote for Jeremy to go home, so what will Randy and Jennifer do? After the break, Jennifer struggles to say they have decided to save Elise. The contestant going home is....Jeremy.



They say goodbye to Jeremy while playing Scotty McCreery's Please Remember Me.

And the 2011 American Idol Is...

After all the auditions, the drama of the Hollywood and the semifinal rounds, and 12 weeks of finalists being sent home by the voting public, it is at last time to crown a new American Idol. In the tradition of Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen and Lee DeWyze, tonight will end with either Scotty McCreery or Lauren Alaina joining that list. But before we learn who will wear the crown, we will be entertained by stars old and new who will look to create ratings magic tonight.



The show starts off with a mercifully short recap of last night, and a minimum of jabbering. It seems there were 122 million votes cast last night, and nearly 750 million cast this season. The Top 13 sing the first group number of the night, Lady GaGa's Born This Way. James is the first to perform solo, joining Judas Priest on the stage for a bit of Living After Midnight. James shares the lead vocals with Rob Halford.



They follow that up with Breaking The Law, and I seem to remember there was some sort of deal that James was going to duet with Steven Tyler. But it was fantastic seeing Halford, the first out Heavy Metal singer/musician on the music scene. Speaking of which, next we have Jacob putting that 'Lusky Stank' on a gospel hit, Kirk Franklin's I Smile. Soon they were joined by a surprise guest, Gladys Knight, which seemed to give Jacob reason to take it up a notch. I could've lost Jacob & Kirk, and let Gladys have the stage. She's an Idol to me!



After the break, resident 'artiste' Casey struggles with the opening notes for Queen's Fat Bottomed Girl before it became a duet with Jack Black. Quickly, it is once again official, I don't get it. I just want it to stop. No, please don't... Ugh, too late. He scatted all over that stage.



Next up we have the seven ladies of Idol, minus Lauren. They sing a medley of Beyoncé hits, starting with Single Ladies. All the ladies get a chance to solo, and then they are joined by Beyoncé, working the wind machines better than anyone should. She sings Crazy In Love, and I try to figure out why she and the ladies didn't utilize the moment to do the girl empowerment song, Rule The World (Girls).



After trying to sell more tickets for the tour this summer, it was time to make fun of Steven Tyler. They show the arc of his story, from loose cannon to behaved child. Laughs galore. Next up, Haley comes out to sing with Tony Bennett. They sing the jazz great written by Irving Berlin, Steppin' Out With My Baby. Tony sounds fantastic as he is about to turn 85, although he did manage to lose the lyrics. Thankfully, he found them.



TLC come out to perform next. Well, T-Boz and Chili come out. They were introduced by Lil Jon and the ladies of the top 13 had their backs for the number.



Live Like You Were Dying Scotty shares the stage with Tim McGraw for his big song. This goes better than one would expect. But I have to say, thank heaven's Tim is so pretty. He was also willing to stand back and pose pretty while Scotty went over the top. Teach him something, Tim.



Now we have the tribute to the odd acts of the audition process. It is announced by a Crusty wannabe, something scary indeed. That is followed by a number by Marc Anthony, who is joined on stage by the stupendous Sheila E! And soon, Mrs. Anthony is dancing with him on stage. There is enough salsa to go around! Have no idea if this is the right song or not, but watch Marc Anthony.



Soon, Casey and James chat about their shocking eliminations, only to be put in their place by Pia. Don't worry, it will all be forgotten soon... Next up, the guys of the Top 13 come out to perform the songs of Tom Jones, starting with Stefano singing Kiss, Paul singing She's A Lady, James with What's New Pussycat, Scotty on Green, Green Grass of Home, Jacob with Love Me Tonight, and Casey with Delilah. They are then joined on stage by Tom himself, singing It's Not Unusual. At 70, Tom is over three-times their age, and he takes over the stage. He owned them boys...



There is a last chance for the Ford Commercial, and to sing another Carrie Underwood song - you know, the last Country Idol to take Nashville by storm... They do a nice little bit with teachers who have influenced the kids, and both Scotty and Lauren invite a teacher, courtesy of Ford. They also surprise them with a car! And Ford will be offering money for educational programs! Hooray! To keep the excitement going, Crusty introduces Lady GaGa, there to sing her latest single, The Edge of Glory. GaGa is singing atop a giant rock formation, and dancing with a beautiful half-naked boy, writhing on the precipice. Of propriety, that is. This number worked. Not for a family show, but for me.



Lauren is up next, and she is singing Carrie's scorching song, Before He Cheats. We all know what is coming up next.
Carrie comes out to sing with Lauren. And we all remember why she won - Carrie's voice is exceptional.



Then there is a cute bit with the others teasing the youngsters about how young they are. It is mercifully short. Then they bring Beyoncé back out to sing One Plus One, her latest single. It is a lovely, expressive ballad. After another break, Crusty introduces the star of Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark, Reeve Carney, to be joined by Bono and The Edge to perform Rise Above.



And, with just 6 minutes left, they bring out Steven Tyler to sing Aerosmith's iconic hit, Dream On. He is amazing on it. So good!



So, with less than just 6 minutes left, the time has come. And, finally, the work of the night. Crusty finally announce that Scotty McCreery is the winner of American Idol. He thanks God and Lauren Alaina, and sings the lame song they had for him, falling apart on the way. Surprisingly enough, the show ends on time. Congratulations Scotty,

American Idol 2011 - Two Finalists Compete

Lauren Alaina & Scotty McCreery

The show opens with quite the dramatic flair, with scenes of former winners and the current contestants as children. There has been plenty of talk blowing up on the internet that Lauren might be unable to perform this evening due to illness, but Idol is seldom light on drama and rumor. That is put away quite quickly, as Scotty and Lauren come walking out hand-in-hand. There is the doctor discussing a blown-out vocal chord, which doesn't sound good. There will be three rounds, the first being the contestants favorite song of the season. The second is the contestants own 'idol' will choose for them, and finally, the 'winning' single will be the final leg.

Scotty starts by reprising Gone, the up-tempo song by Montgomery Gentry. Scotty does a nice job, just I have to say the song gets a little lost in the ruckus of the opening number. Still, a strong showing for Scotty.



Lauren Alaina is up next, and she is singing Carrie Underwood's Flat On The Floor. There is a rough texture to her voice tonight that is actually a bonus. She does a nice job, and is fighting for her place in the show.



After the song, she is standing beside Crusty, bouncing, a bit wound up. After the break, Scotty is ready to perform, and his Idol, George Strait, picked Check Yes Or No. Scotty is nailing the song, until the chorus, when he kinda fades a bit. It certainly isn't sitting in the sweet spot of his voice. But he returns to form for the verse, which is a good thing.



After the break, we find out Carrie Underwood is Lauren's idol, and she picks Maybe It Was Memphis by the great Pam Tillis. I have to say, Lauren is nailing this song.



They take a moment to let the judges drone on and on with a bunch of nothing that says it is a tied game at this point, once again refusing to really give the opinion for which they are theoretically paid... Randy & Jennifer say first round to Scotty and second to Lauren, while Steven gives both to Lauren, cause she is prettier. Then we had a drive-by processing of Taio Cruz's voice on some song the audience helped to write, Positive. For me, the experience di not live up to the title.

Scotty comes back to sing his final song, the first single, I Love You This Big. I can't help but think of Hallmark Precious Moments statues with this title, and am afraid. The song was picked by Jimmy Iovine, who is quite happy with the song. The song starts out like a Randy Travis number, which is perfect for Scotty. He is standing still in the center of the stage, with videos of his Idol journey playing and him playing baseball on the screens behind him. Again, when it comes to the chorus, he chokes it back a bit, but I bet in the studio Jimmy can get that all fixed. Randy calls it a brilliant vocal, which astounds me. Jennifer calls his a storyteller, and thought he did well. Steven puts out a bunch of sports metaphors to say he did well. They take a break and Lauren will sing her final song when they return. I could find no video for this song, so I got nothing.

Lauren's 'first single' is Like My Mother Does. It is a song first performed by former AI Finalist, Kristy Lee Cook. She starts the song a bit tentative, but quickly gets it under control, and takes command of the stage. She leaves the stage, and joins her mother in the audience. She returns to the stage to finish out the song. I love the way she takes the Country and puts a bit of Pop polish on it.



In an interesting twist, the judges comments show Randy pontificating while still saying nothing. Jennifer calls it for Lauren, as does Steven Tyler. They return to the stage, and when pushed, Randy says Lauren wins round three, while Jennifer backpedals, calling it even. Steven says it is hands-down Lauren's night. I have to say, I agree with Steven, but think Scotty is still going to win. The voting will go on for 4 hours. To close out the night, Season 7 winner David Cook comes out to sing Don't You Forget About Me, which has played for the exiting contestants all season long. Well, all I have to say is I tahnkfully could find a clip of Jim Kerr and Simple Minds on the original.