Chris Daughtry steals the show on ‘Idol’

It was Stevie Wonder night on "American Idol," which was a classic good-news, bad-news scenario for the 12 finalists.
On the one hand, it gave the singers a chance to meet a true musical legend, and that overwhelmed many of them. Kellie Pickler and Elliott Yamin were openly crying when he walked in the room to meet them. Ace Young said, "I'm overjoyed and overwhelmed, and today I am very satisfied with my life."
Yamin added, "The fact that I actually got to sit down by the man himself … that's something I'm going to be able to carry with me forever."

Bucky Still Alive in American Idol

Covington, 28, is from Rockingham. The city in the shadow of the legendary North Carolina Speedway, better known as The Rock. But he can sing. He’s done well enough to make it through another week of Fox’s mega-hit “American Idol,” this one may be his toughest challenge to date.
Moore County viewers have thrown their support behind the boy from next door. They’re showing it with signs on their vehicles that say “Hang In There, Bucky” and by picking up their phones and voting for him.
If Covington lasts one more week, he’ll get to tour with “American Idol” during the summer. There are 11 contestants left after Wednesday night’s elimination of Melissa McGhee. The top 10 get to tour.
McGhee hurt herself by forgetting the words to the song she was singing during Tuesday’s performances.
Unlike the week before, Covington finished among the top vote getters and didn’t have to suffer the indignation of being pulled aside by host Ryan Seacrest and made to feel like he might be going home.
Covington isn’t considered one of the stronger singers in the competition. This week, the contestants had to sing a song from music legend Stevie Wonder.
Many struggled through, with only a few nailing their performances. Covington chose to sing “Superstition,” one of Wonder’s classic funk tunes off the album “Natural Wonder.”
He may not have been able to sing with the subtle tones of Wonder’s voice, but he evidently made up for it with showmanship and bravado, belting the tune with charm.
Next week’s theme might be a little more to Covington’s liking. The theme is the 1950s, and Covington possesses a rock ’n roll voice. If he gets by next week, he’ll be one step closer to leaving his job as a body shop mechanic behind. He told the show that if he fails to make it as “American Idol,” he’ll move to Nashville, Tenn., and keep trying to make it in the music business.
He has a wife and twin brother in Rockingham supporting him. The Pilot attempted to contact Covington’s father on his cell phone, but the message was not returned.
The Fox show is immensely popular. Its ratings were much better than the Winter Olympics in Turino. More than 32 million people voted in the most recent round. There are two other North Carolinians left in the contest.
Kellie Pickler of Albemarle and Chris Daughtry of McLeansville are still alive in the contest as well.
Former Idol

Idol Sends McGhee Home

Unfortunately for McGhee, viewers were apparently less than impressed by both her song and wardrobe choices and voted accordingly, sending the 21-year-old Florida native home.

Will Taylor Hicks or Paris Bennett win American Idol

The "American Idol" race is between Taylor Hicks and Paris Bennett.
The rest of the candidates put on uneven, disappointing performances Tuesday night, but those two, especially Hicks, were terrific. Chris Daughtry was pretty good, but he seemed a little overshadowed by the band in his performance of "Higher Ground."
Simon Cowell, on Tuesday's edition of "American Idol," got it just right in his assessment of Hicks. He is like every other dad who's ever gotten up to sing at a wedding -- except, as Cowell said, Hicks really can sing.
I love the fact that his dancing is not so much dancing but herky-jerky, endearingly nerdy spazzing. Whatever. His singing was excellent, and like the Three 6 Mafia at the Oscars, Hicks was genuinely excited to be on that stage, and that enthusiasm easily translated to the audience in the room.
Paris Bennett just owned her song. Stevie Wonder, whose music was the subject of Tuesday's theme night, wrote some of the greatest pop music ever recorded. Only Hicks and Bennett (and Daughtry, sort of) made that obvious in their deliveries.
Who knows, maybe next week we'll see the other performers step up. The normally reliable Katharine McPhee was off her game Tuesday, and worse yet, the dress she was wearing appeared to have been designed by "Project Runway's" Chloe Dao. Ugh. And Mandisa was really off. I thought she'd blow her Wonder song out of the water, but like many of the other singers, she seemed tentative at best.
None off that mattered when Taylor Hicks got on stage. His performance just electrified the show and made watching Tuesday's seemingly endless "Idol" episode worth it. I don't know about you, but I want this guy to win. They're something appealing about his un-hipness, and dang, the man has a great set of pipes.

American Idol Outsted 4 on ET!

It's been a tough competition, but the decision has finally been made. America voted and last Thursday night the Final 12 "American Idol" hopefuls were announced. The lucky dozen include:ACE YOUNG, BUCKY COVINGTON, CHRIS DAUGHTRY, ELLIOTT YAMIN, KATHARINE McPHEE, KELLIE PICKLER, KEVIN COVAIS, LISA TUCKER, MANDISA, MELISSA McGHEE, PARIS BENNETT and TAYLOR HICKS.
But to get from 16 to 12, means that four had to go. So KINNIK SKY, AYLA BROWN, GEDEON McKINNEY and WILL MAKAR are saying goodbye to their dreams of being the next singing superstar. At least for now.
"I think America really listens to what the judges have to say," says Will, when questioned as to why he believes he received one of the lowest number of votes. "I think when I heard from RANDY JACKSON [that it wasn't my best performance], it really hurt me, but I knew how far I made it. I was judged by three of the best in the business."
Also keeping an upbeat attitude about the demise of his "Idol" plans was Gedeon, who thinks that just being in the Final 16 was a golden opportunity.
"I hope there are many offers coming my way," he says. "I really do hope so, because I'm here on earth to entertain -- anything having to do with making someone happy."
The four castoff "Idol" hopefuls were invited to the party that "American Idol" threw for the Final 12 in Hollywood on Thursday night, during which that evening's episode was rebroadcast on screens inside the club, where the winners and losers boogied the night away.
"It wasn't shock; it was more of a disappointment in myself, almost a sense of failure," Ayla said. "That day, I had a nervous feeling in my stomach like something bad was going to happen. The hardest part was knowing the silver, shiny seat was so close, but yet so far away. But I actually saw a rerun of the show at the Top 12 party and instead of being discouraged, I was incredibly proud."
Ayla, of course, will return to school and put to good use her basketball scholarship to Boston College, but she says she won't forget one of the lessons she learned in Hollywood: How to glam up! Will is looking forward to being home with friends and family and to continue working on his music and to enroll in acting lessons. Gedeon, also, will return to school and try out for some plays, but Kinnik has already been working as a professional actress in theater in Georgia, and she hopes her exposure on "American Idol" will expand her opportunities into film and television.
When asked who they thought would be the next "American Idol," no one would comment. Will was cute when he cleverly said, "I now know the next 'American Idol.' How cool is that to say?"
But it is Kinnik, who best sums up the thoughts on that matter for the four to go: "I learned with 'American Idol' to realize that you never know what to expect and just when you think you know how things are going to turn out, it's completely the opposite. So I'm really as excited as America to see what's going to happen with the rest of the season."