Melinda Doolittle seems like such a wonderful person. It’s refreshing to see someone with so much talent with so much humility. She came out and took command of the stage immediately, choosing an Aretha Franklin song, “Since You’ve Been Gone.” This is always a risk but not for someone like Melinda. She is simply AMAZING. It was professional, convincing, fun, infectious, invigorating and everything else it should have been. She rules and I can’t wait to see where else she goes. Note to Melinda – You are a winner! Randy was impressed, saying that she blew it out the box and was hot. . adding she has the natural gift. Paula said she is no more the backup singer and now a front runner. Simon said it was curious that when so many others come out with so little talent and so much arrogance that she is just the opposite, an incredible singer, a fantastic person with a fantastic story, adding that he hopes that she does very well. See – Simon can be a total sweetheart. . Check out Melinda Doolittle singing “Since You’ve Been Gone:”
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I think it’s a big mistake to choose songs that have been totally owned by great singers, like Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye. Miss Franklin seems to be the main sorce of material for many of American Idol hopefuls, but when they choose her songs, they are immediately compared, and they lose. Aretha has so much great music in her catalogue, there is much from which to choose, but Idol contestants constantly pick her most famous hits.
These “kids” don’t realize that Aretha’s approach to singing is deeply rooted in her experience as a fierce gospel singer, who got her experience in a black Baptist church and in the “gospel wars” battling it out in concerts and revivals with the major gospel stars, for years on the road in segregated America. Few of the American Idol contestants have ever been inside the doors of a black Baptist church.
Personally, I pay no attention to Randy and Paula’s critiques of performances, they contantly lie to these people. Simon is the only judge who tells them the truth. And no, he never told Jennifer Hudson that she didn’t have talent. He called her a “diva” along with Fantasia and LaToya London.
The Idol contestants would be better off choosing good songs that are more obscure. That way, they are not immediately compared to Elton John or Aretha Franklin. As far as the contestants this season, I haven’t seen ANYone that stands out as the next American Idol.
Speaking of Aretha, there is a great group on Yahoo called Billie Holiday And The Disciples Of Swing. The group features audio files of classic Jazz Vocalists. This past month they have been celebrating Girl Singer’s Month and this weeks playlist includes a great unreleased track of Skylark performed by Aretha at the Detroit Music Hall in 1986.. Here is the link to the group and the current playlist.
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/BillieHoliday_And_The_Disciples_Of_Swing/
Well, I agree that usually the kids on American Idol lose when they choose iconic songs from master singers and performers. But in the Melinda Doolittle case here, I don’t think she lost at all. She blew the walls off with that song. And, actually, Simon may not have said Jennifer Hudson had “no” talent, but he was always deriding her for what he thought was karaoke cruise line performances. He admitted that he “stood corrected” on Oprah. You can find the video here in the archives.
Oh, and don’t forget that Melinda is a professional back up singer, so she is not without some measure of success in her own right. . But, I agree with you generally about the judges. . Simon is almost always right and he DOES tell the truth.