James Durbin – the Rocker to beat on American Idol Season 10 - performed the classic Rock anthem “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey on the Top 4 Show. Tonight's first theme was "Songs that Inspire", and James choose this well-known Journey song because "never for one moment have I stopped believing."
James begins "Don't Stop Believing" seated on the steps, and like always, immediately draws the audience to him. "C’mon Randy I know you know the words!" shouts James. (In a small bit of unnecessary pandering. Randy Jackson, a bassist, was a session musician for the Rock group Journey from 1986 to 1987. Jackson played on Journey's 1986 album Raised on Radio.) This was a very solid, if unemotional, performance by James. He never goes anywhere near the top of his range, which is odd, considering Journey's Steve Perry sings much of the song in his sweet, high register, showing such amazing longing in his voice.
Steven Tyler raved, "A little indication of what’s to come. You did it right. You couldn’t have picked a more popular song right now. (Big long bleep) Nice going." Jennifer Lopez praised James, "It's so great to listen to you, and hear you go into your upper register. Randy and I always wait for the bravado at the end, if you're gonna pull it out, and you do. It’s amazing. Everybody can’t do that. It was a really, really great job. Great song, great job, great performance."
Randy added, "You're payin' such homage to my friends. Other than Aerosmith, one of the greatest rock bands ever, Journey. Also one of the greatest singers ever, other than Mr. Steven Tyler, in the Rock world, Steve Perry. I'm glad that you're giving him props; you're wearing the tails that Perry made famous (and an old Journey concert t-shirt!). Like they say in the Olympics, that was the highest degree of difficulty, and you did it."
Host Ryan Seacrest said, "The fight for the finale is heating up here!"
Showing posts with label Randy Jackson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Randy Jackson. Show all posts
Haley Reinhart almost took Lauren's place on Idol Finale!
"It freaked me out a little, I'm not gonna lie," says the American Idol Top 3 finalist of season 10's last drama-filled hours which almost found her competing in the final two.
Imagine this: It’s the week after your American Idol elimination, the top 2 are about to take the stage at the Nokia Theater for the first of a two-part finale when you get a tug on the arm from an Idol minder telling you to be ready -- it might be you on that stage instead.
Such was Haley Reinhart’s Tuesday afternoon on May 24, which started out with one simple responsibility, a nice smile as the camera panned on the top 11 finalists, and ended with a flurry of drama as finalist Lauren Alaina blew a vocal cord and, for a minute there, looked like she might not compete.
Of course, we know how things turned out, with Scotty McCreery as the last one standing, but, it sure was fun getting to that result. We caught up with Haley two days after the finale to recap season 10’s final hours and to look ahead to her own future as a recording artist.
The Hollywood Reporter: Those of us covering the finale heard about Lauren’s voice going out 30 minutes before showtime, when were you first informed that you might need to step in?
Haley Reinhart: Like everything else, it was pretty last-minute. Literally, maybe a half an hour before stuff was getting rolling. I was rushing to get ready, and they pulled me aside and said, “Here's what's going on.” They gave me the lowdown.
THR: What was your reaction?
Reinhart: It freaked me out a little bit, I'm not gonna lie. It was huge, and I almost just fell to my feet, I was just really shocked. But I knew she would pull through. Lauren wouldn't let that happen -- she probably would have regretted it for the rest of her life, so I'm glad she was able to get up there. I didn't want to take that from her.
THR: You had two songs ready to go, including Elton John's “Benny and the Jets,” which many considered your breakthrough performance…
Reinhart: I actually practiced three songs that I had already done on the show. But I knew in my heart it wouldn't happen. I didn't even want it to. I thought, on one hand, it's an honor to be able to get that opportunity and how it's never happened before. On the other, it was hers to win or to lose. I already had my time to say goodbye.
THR: Lauren’s situation aside, there was talk of you singing an original song on Wednesday’s show, as your parents revealed at a concert in Wheeling, IL...
Reinhart: That was going to happen. And then Bono from U2 came in and it was taken away.
THR: So you have a single?
Reinhart: Probably not now, but it was an option when I was let go. They had said that it was going to happen, and like everything else in this business, it’s all subject to change. I was excited about it, but then again, I think I'd like to wait and come up with something that's very me. Everything happens for a reason, so it's all good.
THR: And you did get to perform with Tony Bennett. How much time were you able to spend rehearsing with him?
Reinhart: We went through different songs before I met him, and we'd already changed songs a couple times, but we ended up with "Steppin' Out With My Baby," which is actually the first jazz tune I ever learned in high school. He came in and we rehearsed it a couple times in a really small room with him and his quartet. It was absolutely amazing. He made it such a comfortable experience. He was just very cool, calm and collected. I was just in shock a little bit.
THR: Rodney Jerkins had mentioned that he was worried the stars would outshine the Idol finalists. Was it intimidating performing with a jazz legend?
Reinhart: It might have been in other situations, but I just felt comfortable around him. It was definitely his demeanor, because he's a sweet man, as well as the quartet, and as well as jazz in general. It's more natural for me. So it just came out.
THR: The group number with Beyonce required a lot of dancing, what was that like?
Reinhart: It was fun. I'm so glad we worked it out, because we didn't have that much time to learn it all and everything. We had a blast with it. And she's a sweetheart as well.
THR: Did you see the video of her singing "1 + 1" in the Idol dressing room? No gimmicks, no effects and Beyonce just kills it.
Reinhart: I haven’t seen it, but I wouldn't doubt it. She's amazing. That performance at the Billboard Awards, she sounded so magnificent. Like, how do you do something like that?
THR: What have you learned about the music business so far?
Reinhart: Probably a million and one things. How much advice you should take in, and when you should really listen to yourself. That’s probably the most important thing: to remember to stay true and stick up when need be, and to take a step back and soak everything in at the same time.
THR: Are you an Interscope artist now?
Reinhart: No, not as of yet, but there's time. I'm very, very eager to see what happens.
THR: Do you think Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson should be back next year or should they change up the judges’ table X Factor-style?
Reinhart: There's a lot of other vocal shows that are out right now, and I think because of the versatility that they've brought this season, why not keep it going as long as they can? This was such a success.
THR: Where do you see yourself in a year?
Reinhart: I see myself with an album out that hopefully reflects exactly who I am, and just performing in front of crowds like I've grown up doing. That would be fulfilling my biggest passion.
source:thr.com, by Shirley Halperin
Imagine this: It’s the week after your American Idol elimination, the top 2 are about to take the stage at the Nokia Theater for the first of a two-part finale when you get a tug on the arm from an Idol minder telling you to be ready -- it might be you on that stage instead.
Such was Haley Reinhart’s Tuesday afternoon on May 24, which started out with one simple responsibility, a nice smile as the camera panned on the top 11 finalists, and ended with a flurry of drama as finalist Lauren Alaina blew a vocal cord and, for a minute there, looked like she might not compete.
Of course, we know how things turned out, with Scotty McCreery as the last one standing, but, it sure was fun getting to that result. We caught up with Haley two days after the finale to recap season 10’s final hours and to look ahead to her own future as a recording artist.
The Hollywood Reporter: Those of us covering the finale heard about Lauren’s voice going out 30 minutes before showtime, when were you first informed that you might need to step in?
Haley Reinhart: Like everything else, it was pretty last-minute. Literally, maybe a half an hour before stuff was getting rolling. I was rushing to get ready, and they pulled me aside and said, “Here's what's going on.” They gave me the lowdown.
THR: What was your reaction?
Reinhart: It freaked me out a little bit, I'm not gonna lie. It was huge, and I almost just fell to my feet, I was just really shocked. But I knew she would pull through. Lauren wouldn't let that happen -- she probably would have regretted it for the rest of her life, so I'm glad she was able to get up there. I didn't want to take that from her.
THR: You had two songs ready to go, including Elton John's “Benny and the Jets,” which many considered your breakthrough performance…
Reinhart: I actually practiced three songs that I had already done on the show. But I knew in my heart it wouldn't happen. I didn't even want it to. I thought, on one hand, it's an honor to be able to get that opportunity and how it's never happened before. On the other, it was hers to win or to lose. I already had my time to say goodbye.
THR: Lauren’s situation aside, there was talk of you singing an original song on Wednesday’s show, as your parents revealed at a concert in Wheeling, IL...
Reinhart: That was going to happen. And then Bono from U2 came in and it was taken away.
THR: So you have a single?
Reinhart: Probably not now, but it was an option when I was let go. They had said that it was going to happen, and like everything else in this business, it’s all subject to change. I was excited about it, but then again, I think I'd like to wait and come up with something that's very me. Everything happens for a reason, so it's all good.
THR: And you did get to perform with Tony Bennett. How much time were you able to spend rehearsing with him?
Reinhart: We went through different songs before I met him, and we'd already changed songs a couple times, but we ended up with "Steppin' Out With My Baby," which is actually the first jazz tune I ever learned in high school. He came in and we rehearsed it a couple times in a really small room with him and his quartet. It was absolutely amazing. He made it such a comfortable experience. He was just very cool, calm and collected. I was just in shock a little bit.
THR: Rodney Jerkins had mentioned that he was worried the stars would outshine the Idol finalists. Was it intimidating performing with a jazz legend?
Reinhart: It might have been in other situations, but I just felt comfortable around him. It was definitely his demeanor, because he's a sweet man, as well as the quartet, and as well as jazz in general. It's more natural for me. So it just came out.
THR: The group number with Beyonce required a lot of dancing, what was that like?
Reinhart: It was fun. I'm so glad we worked it out, because we didn't have that much time to learn it all and everything. We had a blast with it. And she's a sweetheart as well.
THR: Did you see the video of her singing "1 + 1" in the Idol dressing room? No gimmicks, no effects and Beyonce just kills it.
Reinhart: I haven’t seen it, but I wouldn't doubt it. She's amazing. That performance at the Billboard Awards, she sounded so magnificent. Like, how do you do something like that?
THR: What have you learned about the music business so far?
Reinhart: Probably a million and one things. How much advice you should take in, and when you should really listen to yourself. That’s probably the most important thing: to remember to stay true and stick up when need be, and to take a step back and soak everything in at the same time.
THR: Are you an Interscope artist now?
Reinhart: No, not as of yet, but there's time. I'm very, very eager to see what happens.
THR: Do you think Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson should be back next year or should they change up the judges’ table X Factor-style?
Reinhart: There's a lot of other vocal shows that are out right now, and I think because of the versatility that they've brought this season, why not keep it going as long as they can? This was such a success.
THR: Where do you see yourself in a year?
Reinhart: I see myself with an album out that hopefully reflects exactly who I am, and just performing in front of crowds like I've grown up doing. That would be fulfilling my biggest passion.
source:thr.com, by Shirley Halperin
American Idol's Haley Reinhart Goes Out With a Bang Belting "Bennie & The Jets" on the Final 3 Results Show
Feisty Haley Reinhart goes out with a bang ~ and gets her revenge ~ belting out Elton John's "Bennie & The Jets" as her final song on the American Idol Season 10 Final 3 Results Show. We've all been waiting for someone to have their 'moment' during the Final 3. Haley came very close with Led Zeppelin's “What is and What Should Never Be”, but that was one song out of nine ~ on a very boring, very safe show. Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina never sang a show-stopping song for the Final 3. But after Haley got eliminated, she blew them both out of the water. You could tell by the looks on their faces, they were both wondering, "How am I going to top Haley's "Bennie & The Jets" on the Finale?"
BRAVO HALEY!!! You went out with grace, and one of the best performances of the season. We are so, so proud of you!
Did you all catch Haley's subtle, yet beautifully placed, slap in the face to JeaLous JLo and Randy?? Her brilliant change of words in "Bennie & The Jets" told us exactly what Haley thought of their harsh, unjustified criticism...
"Say, Randy and JLo, have you seen them yet?
OH, BUT THEY ARE SO SPACED OUT, B-B-B-Bennie and Steven"
BRAVO HALEY!!! You went out with grace, and one of the best performances of the season. We are so, so proud of you!
Did you all catch Haley's subtle, yet beautifully placed, slap in the face to JeaLous JLo and Randy?? Her brilliant change of words in "Bennie & The Jets" told us exactly what Haley thought of their harsh, unjustified criticism...
"Say, Randy and JLo, have you seen them yet?
OH, BUT THEY ARE SO SPACED OUT, B-B-B-Bennie and Steven"
American Idol Profile: Who is Season 10 Finalist Lauren Alaina?
Lauren Alaina was named one of the top 11 finalists for Season 10 of "American Idol," the popular Fox Television musical contest and reality TV show, in 2011. As such, Alaina is listed for the 2011 "Idols Live" nationwide tour.
A country singer with a story
Lauren Alaina Suddeth auditioned for Season 10 in Nashville, singing's "Like We Never Loved at All." The 16-year-old country singer with the long two-toned locks won hearts with her story of her cousin's inspiring battle against brain cancer, and the judges invited her family into the audition room.
Alaina followed up with an impromptu duet of "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" with "Idol" judge and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, and the judges quickly labeled her the best they had seen in Nashville.
"I think we found the one today," Tyler said afterward. "We found her. Oh, yeah, we did."
Randy Jackson compared Alaina to two previous "Idol" winners, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.
A down-homer with heart
Hailing from Rosswell, Georgia, Alaina nicknamed fellow Georgian and "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest a Georgia peach. Tweeting about her personal pratfalls and troubles with cell phones and other technology, the down-to-earth Alaina has attracted a loyal fan base.
"I'm original and unique, and I can just belt it out whenever someone needs me to," Alaina posted on her own website.
Alaina's hometown friends and fans organized fund raisers to send her cousin Holly Witherow and her aunt Kim Witherow to the Top 11 audition night of "Idol," where Alaina offered her countrified rendition of The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On."
Her country roots run deep. Born November 8, 1994, in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, Alaina began singing as a toddler and never stopped. She credits her cousin Holly as both a big sister figure and a musical inspiration.
Alaina is a sophomore at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School. Before joining "Idol," she worked in a local pizza parlor and sang at local gatherings. She has hinted that she has had a boyfriend cheering her on in her "Idol" journey.
A confident "Idol" finalist
Alaina has claimed to own an unusually diverse collection of albums, including Justin Bieber and Miranda Lambert. Alaina points to "Idol" champ and country star Carrie Underwood as a major personal musical influence and fondly recalls seeing Sugarland live in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as her first real concert.
With no formal singing training, Alaina performs with a powerful punch and a country flavor. She has admitted that she dreams of performing at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry someday,
In the early weeks of Season 10 "Idol," Alaina sang Reba McEntire's "Turn on the Radio," Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine" and "Melissa Etheridge's "I'm the Only One."
source:Linda Ann Nickerson, Yahoo! Contributor Network
A country singer with a story
Lauren Alaina Suddeth auditioned for Season 10 in Nashville, singing's "Like We Never Loved at All." The 16-year-old country singer with the long two-toned locks won hearts with her story of her cousin's inspiring battle against brain cancer, and the judges invited her family into the audition room.
Alaina followed up with an impromptu duet of "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" with "Idol" judge and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, and the judges quickly labeled her the best they had seen in Nashville.
"I think we found the one today," Tyler said afterward. "We found her. Oh, yeah, we did."
Randy Jackson compared Alaina to two previous "Idol" winners, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.
A down-homer with heart
Hailing from Rosswell, Georgia, Alaina nicknamed fellow Georgian and "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest a Georgia peach. Tweeting about her personal pratfalls and troubles with cell phones and other technology, the down-to-earth Alaina has attracted a loyal fan base.
"I'm original and unique, and I can just belt it out whenever someone needs me to," Alaina posted on her own website.
Alaina's hometown friends and fans organized fund raisers to send her cousin Holly Witherow and her aunt Kim Witherow to the Top 11 audition night of "Idol," where Alaina offered her countrified rendition of The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On."
Her country roots run deep. Born November 8, 1994, in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, Alaina began singing as a toddler and never stopped. She credits her cousin Holly as both a big sister figure and a musical inspiration.
Alaina is a sophomore at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School. Before joining "Idol," she worked in a local pizza parlor and sang at local gatherings. She has hinted that she has had a boyfriend cheering her on in her "Idol" journey.
A confident "Idol" finalist
Alaina has claimed to own an unusually diverse collection of albums, including Justin Bieber and Miranda Lambert. Alaina points to "Idol" champ and country star Carrie Underwood as a major personal musical influence and fondly recalls seeing Sugarland live in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as her first real concert.
With no formal singing training, Alaina performs with a powerful punch and a country flavor. She has admitted that she dreams of performing at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry someday,
In the early weeks of Season 10 "Idol," Alaina sang Reba McEntire's "Turn on the Radio," Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine" and "Melissa Etheridge's "I'm the Only One."
source:Linda Ann Nickerson, Yahoo! Contributor Network
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