Alexis Grace Can’t Sing Herself to Safety

Alexis Grace is the latest axed from American Idol.  The judges told the pink and blonde-haired mom that if she impressed with her farewell song, they would save her.  She did not perform up to the judges’ standards and is on her way home.  And if being sent home was not bad enough, she just missed a spot on the national “American Idols Live” Tour later this summer. 

Alexis Grace sang Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” but the Dolly comparisons ended with Alexis’ blonde hair and pretty face.  The judges believed Alexis didn’t put enough “dirty” rock edge into Tuesday night’s performance, something they believe has carried her through the competition to this point.

The remaining final 10 Idols can now breathe a sigh of relief because they have   secured a spot on the official Idol tour.  As a finalist during season six, I was able to go on the tour, which is a huge advantage in securing a record deal and media coverage.  But more importantly, I was able to sing for the fans.  It really is an amazing experience to travel the country for three months and meet the people who helped keep you on the show.  Tonight’s “Kiss Off” party, the final get-together highlighted on tonight’s show, will be bittersweet since everyone but Alexis will be on the tour. 

This is one of the strongest Top 10 we have had to date.  The semi-finals left some people doubting if this crop of Idols would be able to step up and deliver a great season with a superstar winner. 

One of the reigning queens of country and American Idol superstar, Carrie Underwood, returned to the stage that made her famous singing with fellow Opry member and this week’s mentor, Randy Travis.  They showed the Idols what America expects from winners!

Next week only, American Idol will air Wednesday at 8 p.m. and Thursday at 9 p.m. on Fox.

The Final 36

We are only one episode away from the live performances. An interesting thing has been added this season. During the chair episodes, they are letting people they are undecided about have a sing-off to earn their spot in the semifinals. I like this because it is tough to get eliminated once you’ve made it through Hollywood Week and haven’t performed for the judges since…. I don’t like it because it seems very awkward for the contestants. I would have hated to be in any of the sing-offs, whether I won or lost.

I remember being at the hotel the night before the chair episode and that was awkward enough because you know people are being eliminated. The truth is that I never expected to make it through Hollywood Week, so I can honestly say that I was hoping the best for everyone. When I made it through, I was terribly excited to be on the show, but also terribly guilty for having taken someone else’s spot.

I can tell you that there are people that the other contestants aren’t rooting for. On my season, there were a few people from Hollywood Week that did not stand out to us at all. We came back for the chair episode and wondered how in the world they made it into the semifinals when some of our friends who were great got cut. It wasn’t until we saw their original auditions that we understood how they had made it through.

Consider Joanna Pacitti. She’s a great singer, but she forgot her lyrics every time she sang in Hollywood. The other contestants can’t possibly know how great she is just yet.

Or consider Tatiana Del Toro. She’s a good singer, but she couldn’t be any more annoying. I think the other contestants are a little frustrated that many other great singers have been cut so they can feature her on more episodes.

At the end of the day, most of the decisions were expected. Here is a list of the top 36:

Anoop Desai

Von Smith

Alex Trugman

Adam Lambert

Taylor Vaifanua

Jasmine Murray

Arianna Asfar

Casey Carlson

Megan Corkrey

Mishavonna Henson

Stevie Wright

Joanna Pacitti

Kendall Beard

Kristen McNamara

Alexis Grace

Scott Macintyre

Lil Rounds

Jesse Langseth

Allison Iraheta

Danny Gokey

Ricky Braddy

Matt Giraud

Ju’Not Joyner

Jorge Nunez

Brent Keith

Stephen Fowler

Norman Gentle, or Nick Mitchell

Jackie Tohn

Tatiana Del Toro

Nathaniel Marshall

Jeanine Vailes

Kai Kalama

Anne Marie Boskovich

Kris Allen

Matt Breitzke

Michael Sarver

I was a little upset to see Jamar Rogers get cut. He’s an outstanding talent. The fact that Norman Gentle is there instead of him makes it all feel a little off. Don’t get me wrong, I like Norman. But I haven’t heard him sing anywhere near as good as Jamar. Who knows… Thoughts?