American Idol 2014

[john]

Slezak recap of results:
http://tvline.com/2014/03/13/american-id...went-home/

. . .And indeed, after a fine medley by judge Harry Connick Jr (reenforcing the concept of “hardcore bangage” first coined by Haley Reinhart) and . . .

[Himm2]

Michael Slezak shared a link.
23 hours ago
Pure Idol joy.



Haley Reinhart - Bennie and the Jets - American Idol Top 11 (2nd Week) - 03/30/11 Elton John Week
1Share
Norma Lowery Johnson and 19 others like this.

Carol Woodhouse You're preaching to the choir. Haley Reinhart is in my Top 10 all time favorite Idol contestants.
23 hours ago · 2

Elizabeth Reiser Last night while watching Idol, I paused my dvr about 10 seconds into Ben Briley's performance and turned on Haley's version on my computer for my boyfriend (who is new to idol) to listen to instead. Also, while i appreciate people making songs their own, when you mess with a melody as beautiful as "falling slowly" you are instantly on my hit list.
22 hours ago

Jon Theobald She should have won that year and I am very happy to admit that.
21 hours ago · 2

Kathryne Camp Evans This will always be Haley's song. They should put it on a jersey and hang it up in the Idoldome, never to be worn again.
13 hours ago

Randy Anglin Haley was, by far, my favorite contestant that year. The political maneuverings of the judges/producers did everything possible to keep her from winning, but her talent just kept shining through! She's one of my top 10 all-time favorite Idol contestants as well.
10 hours ago · 2

Jon Theobald I also really really LOVE Haley's performances of I Who Have Nothing and House Of The Rising Sun.
5 hours ago · 2

Jon Theobald I was so mad at how she was treated by Randy and J Lo after her performance of The Earth Song. What is very weird if you watch that performance back you will see Randy bobbing his head like he is enjoying it a lot. Yet he is still really hard and negative on her which makes no sense. Check it out and you'll see what I mean.
5 hours ago

[john]

Interesting discussion this week

[Himm2]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/idol-wo...iss-686870

When Florida’s Emily Piriz was sent home last night, the voice you heard singing Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway” was not that of the Season One champ, but her own.
In a conference call with reporters Friday afternoon, Piriz -- who name-checked Clarkson and Season 10’s Haley Reinhart as her personal Idol role models -- revealed that every contestant already recorded their own version of Clarkson’s hit to be used on Thursday evening's elimination episodes.
STORY: What's Next For Emily Piriz? High School Graduation and a Move to L.A.

[Tusk]

Reinhart represent this week's Reality Check

Comparing them like they do, Ben's version is so ridiculously outclassed, I can't believe someone didn't try to talk him out of it (Ben had said that Randy liked the idea...so the blame starts there )

[mercfan3]

Randy is so good at his job. Last week, he didn't talk Emily out of the JLO song.

[My Alter Ego]

^^LOL, Mercfan!

Earlier, when I first saw Tusk's post of Reality Check and his comment regarding Randy's encouraging Ben, I was about to make some nasty crack, thought about it, and then real life "interrupted" (how rude!) and I haven't been able to get back until now.

It's abundantly clear that Randy is not doing anything to help this year's contestants prepare for "showtime" -- and he can't help. He lacks that combination of (among other things) timing, taste, good sense, creativity and a musical sensibility that can pull it all together. (Please know that's a short list, folks.)

So to whom do this year's contestants, most of whom seem to have a quite raw, underdeveloped talent (Majesty Rose, Sam, and MK specifically), turn for decent advice? Poor kids -- they really are getting the proverbial "short end of the stick."

As Mr. Slezak keeps advocating, they need to have some real "mentors." And while I think that having Melinda as a permanent "den mother/mentor" would be a tremendous lift, methinks TPTB wouldn't want to pay for her housing costs (she's based in Nashville, correct?), so maybe they should have a rotating mentoring of those former Idols who live in area (Adam, Chris, Haley, and Casey. If price isn't an issue, then they should certainly include Ms. Doolittle in the rotation. And, yes, there would be some whining of few former contestants living in the area who weren't included, but well, let them whine/eat cake/whatever.)

[Babbs234]

I agree Randy does not seem to be helping the contestants.
I know cost is probably a factor at this time for AI, but I liked when they had celebrity mentors for the contestants. Musicians who are current, and out making music and touring. They know the ins and outs of a song, and how to present it. Like when Sheryl Crow told Haley to sing a cappella for the first verse of "House of the Rising Sun". Or when Lady GaGa suggested to Haley to go psycho on "I Who Have Nothing". That was right on!

There is nothing wrong with having "in house" mentors, and former Idols know what the contestants are going thru, but celebrity mentors might attract a bigger audience too.

[Tusk]

Like when Sheryl Crow told Haley to sing a cappella for the first verse of "House of the Rising Sun".

I think in Haley's HaleyLoonies exit interview, Haley claimed that the idea to go acapella was actually her idea

Don't forget, "the voice coach from hell", Debra Byrd, no longer works for AI either

[Babbs234]

Like when Sheryl Crow told Haley to sing a cappella for the first verse of "House of the Rising Sun".

I think in Haley's HaleyLoonies exit interview, Haley claimed that the idea to go acapella was actually her idea

Don't forget, "the voice coach from hell", Debra Byrd, no longer works for AI either

Yeah , your right about it being Haley's idea. I was thinking about the lead in interview on AI for HTRS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_jhtGDBFT4 (start at .50)
I think Sheryl Crow confirmed for Haley that acapella was the way to go.