And The Winner Is...Kris Allen

This makes the second upset in a row on American Idol. Last year David Cook was the dark horse when he won over the other David Archuleta. I have to say that I am actually pretty happy, because it might just be me, but Adam Lambert was a little bit too over the top! The crowd was star-studded, including numerous winners and runner ups of past seasons. I saw a slimmed down version of Reuben Studdard, Carrie Underwood, and even first season runner up Justin Guarini.

I enjoyed the teaming up of celebrity entertainers with the idols, including Keith Urban with Kris, Lionel Ritchie with third runner up Danny Gokey, and all of the contestants with the great Santana. Kiss and Adam took us back to an earlier time of Rock and Roll. What was up with Queen Latifah, the performance with Lil was wonderful, but what was up with the cat suit? She has a gut for heaven's sake.

Well it's confirmed, there will be an 9th season of Idol and the producers are coming back to the Dallas area to recruit. I was just thinking about something, has a northerner ever won the title of American Idol. Below is my favorite performance by Kris Allen. The video has been removed because of a terms of use violation, so just enjoy the audio.

Idol's Four Panel Jury A Bust?

I have been half-heartedly watching American Idol this year. One reason is that for the most part the talent has been mediocre at best and secondly, I do not understand the necessity for the fourth judge. When I first heard that there would be a new judge on the Idol scene, I will admit that I was curious. I wondered what type of personality the new judge would have and what she would bring to the table as far as judging is concerned.

I was really hoping that it would be someone with an extensive musical background that would be qualified to judge a contest such as this with impartiality and prudence. While the new judge, Kara DioGuardi does have a musical background (songwriter), I find nothing intriguing or exciting about her. Paula Abdul must agree with me because she has publicly stated that the fourth judge slows the show down and interrupts its flow.

Are there any fans of Idol still with the show in the 8th season and if so, what do you think of the addition of the fourth judge?

American Idol - David Cook

I guess I am eating crow or humble pie tonight. I counted out my favorite last night and said he had given away the opportunity to be the 7th Season American Idol. I criticized that he did not sing songs that showcased his exceptional talent. This guy knew what he was doing. Simon Cowell apologized to Cook before the winner was announced saying that his criticism the night before had been bordered on disrespectful and that David Cook didn't deserve that. Cowell went on to say that for the first time in the history of the show he didn't care who won.

The night rejoined the top twelve contestants and a lot of stars from the past and present. Seal, Graham Nash, Donna Summer, and George Michael to name a few. It was great to see the return of some of the contestants who left in prior weeks. They seemed refreshed and ready to go on the upcoming summer tour that incidentally will be in my neck of the woods on August 25th.

After 97 million votes (a record of over 23 million votes) the winner was announced with less drama and fanfare than previous years. Ryan Seacrest simply said the winner of this year's Idol contest is David Cook. I don't think either David expected that outcome. David Archuleta was gracious in his defeat and David Cook broke down and cried. Now I don't know if he was crying because he was happy to be our American Idol or because he is locked in contractually to Simon Cowell for who knows how long. I hope it was the former. Congratulation David Cook!

And The Winner Is!!!

After Watching American Idol last night I am going to call a winner...DAVID ARCHULETA! I have to be honest, I always thought that David Cook would be the victor. He had the whole package, great voice and very good guitar playing. Something happened last night because Cook seemed to lose steam as the show progress as Archuleta picked up more momentum with each song.

I am sure it didn't help that after every round Simon declared David Archuleta the winner. Don't get me wrong David Cook sounded good, it was just that David Archuleta sounded better. His song choices were definitely better. Cook missed his opportunity on his last song by not choosing to revisit songs he had performed well in prior weeks. Archuleta chose to perform "Imagine" and Cook should have countered with "Billie Jean". He is going to look back on this night and realize that he blew it. I would be interested to know if others watching the show saw the same thing that I saw. It sort of seemed like Cook choked at the end and I was actually rooting for him. Although I am not a rocker per se, the guy is mad talented. I concede, congratulation Archuleta.

The Battle of the Two Davids

I am not surprised that when the dust settled David Cook and David Archuleta would be the last two standing on American Idol. I predicted several weeks ago that David Cook’s rendition of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean was enough to get him into the finale. He consistently made excellent song choices and did well even when he had to go outside of his rocker style to perform the songs of Mariah Carey and Dolly Parton.

David Archuleta was also pretty reliable when it came to churning out quality performances week after week. This guy has an excellent voice and handle himself well for a teenager still in high school. Archuleta sings songs that I can identify with more, since his musical influences are Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder, Kirk Franklin, and Brian Adams. However, I seem to be leaning toward David Cook because of his high-powered performances and the way he commands the audience.

The finale begins on Tuesday night 8:00 EST / 7:00 CST and the winner will be announced on Wednesday night. It promises to be an exciting night and I think both of these guys will definitely be on top of their game.

How To Beat David Archuleta

Season 7 of 'American Idol' has felt more like a coronation than a competition, with golden child David Archuleta prepped to sing a syrupy final anthem to the adoring masses. But a foregone conclusion is no fun at all; there must be a way to bring Archie down. So, 'Idol' contestants, here are 10 things to do in order to beat the (seemingly) unbeatable.

1. Consult Reuben – David has an ardent fan base similar to that of the beloved Clay Aiken (teenyboppers, grandmas). And yet, in a hotly contested showdown, Clay lost to Ruben. Exactly what did the Velvet Teddy Bear use to pull out the win? Prayer? Mental voodoo? Even if Reuben doesn't have a specific answer, maybe his winning aura will rub off on you.

2. Don’t Fight the Judges – Talking back doesn't make you sassy, it just makes you sound like a whiny baby. When Simon blasts your song choice or vocals, simply nod and smile sweetly. The more you speak, the better the chance you'll put your foot in your mouth. In fact, play the wounded puppy dog as Simon rips into you ... maybe you'll get the pity vote.

3. Re watch Constantine, Then Do the Opposite – David Cook looks to have the best chance to overtake Archie, yet he's in danger of going bust. Why? His swaggering self-confidence comes across as smug and arrogant. Be careful: Humility always trumps personality. Think of Kelly, Carrie, and Fantasia -- and how grateful they were even to be on the show.

4. Michael Johns Should’ve Taken Off His Shirt - No voting bloc holds more power than teenyboppers -- and David A. has them under his thumb. Winning will require siphoning off some of those nimble-fingered dialing machines. Michael, a hunky dreamboat (with an accent!), wasted a good chance; David C. could still play the bad boy with a heart of gold. Time to break out your best Justin Timberlake impression.

5. Carly Smithson Should Keep Her Shirt On – Carly, your vocal talents are as good as Archie's. But it's time to soften up -- and start by covering up those tattoos. 'Idol' voters like their female winners to be tough, yet graceful. And they love makeovers. Curl your hair, wear a glamorous gown ... and then see Steps 8 and 10.

6. Bring a Lovable Relative to Cheer You On – Be it a cute kid (Fantasia), a devoted mom (Elliott Yamin) or a whole loving family (Chris Daughtry), an aspiring 'Idol' needs plenty of backup -- endearing relatives who can gush about you, so you don't have to. Just don't bring anyone scary (Carly's facially tattooed hubby) or too hot (Shyamali Malakar), or they'll distract attention away from you.

7. Overcome Obstacles – Just as Kelly rose above financial hardship, Fantasia survived sexual abuse and Elliott sang despite being 90% deaf in his right ear, Archuleta overcame ... vocal paralysis. Everyone loves an underdog, right? So, comb through your past for a moment when you conquered adversity. Even standing up to a bully in third grade will do.

8. Sing A Classic Ballad – We thought Elliott had the Season 5 finale in the bag ... until Katharine McPhee knocked our socks off with a gorgeous rendition of 'Over the Rainbow.' While rock and country have been on the rise, nothing makes an 'Idol' star like a soaring ballad. Remember Fantasia's 'Summertime'? Of course you do. We rest our case.

9. Get A Catchy Fan Group Name – The most popular contestants' fans have come up with great names: Claymates, the Soul Patrol and the Blaker Girls. Now, David's got the Arch Angels. The Castronauts (Jason) and the Aussie Posse (Michael) are worthy monikers, but Brooke, Carly and David C. need to do some serious name-storming -- and fast.

10. Shed A Fake Tear Or Two - We knew Jordin Sparks was going to win as soon as that single tear ran down her cheek as she belted out 'This Is My Now.' The emotion need not be genuine; it just has to seem like it. Voters want to believe this experience is meaningful for you. So buy some Visine and think about your dog dying. But don't blubber too often. When it comes to tears, a little goes a long way.

American Idol - David Cook

I know I have mentioned being a fan of American Idol. This year I have had a difficult time getting into the contestants. I just could not find anyone to get really excited about for the first time since the show aired in 2002. That is until last night when I heard the best spin on a popular song that I had ever experienced. The contestants sang songs from their respective years of birth and the last performer, David Cook, stopped the show with a totally awesome rendition of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean". David Cook is a stone rocker and his approach to the song was different than anything Michael could have ever imagined. Cook slowed the tempo of the song and gave it a rock, bluesy feel that literally brought the house down.

David Cook is a twenty- five year old Missourian, who may well be the one to beat this year. Simon Cowell said it best a few weeks ago, "If the show remains a singing competition, rather than a popularity competition, you actually could win this entire show". This guy has been the most consistent performer and I feel that he might just win, but we have seen upsets so many times before on this show. Remember Chris Daugherty? Check out David performing The Beatles "Eleanor Rigby"

Thursday Thirteen # 13 - Thirteen American Idol Scandals

As I have mentioned before I am a huge fan of American Idol and over the years there have been a few skeletons in the closet of more than one contestant. Besides the alleged voting irregularities (Tamyra Gray – Nikki McKibbon, Ruben Studdard – Clay Aikens, Latoya London – Jasmine Trias) there has been plenty of behind the scene scandalous and criminal behavior. This year is no exception.

1. Season 7 - David Hernandez is the newest in a long string of 'Idol' contestants who have had some R-rated past details surface during their 15 minutes. The current contestant reportedly worked as a male stripper in a "mostly men" club.

2. Season 6 - Antonella Barba stole all of the headlines early on as a batch of racy photos of her spread their way across the Internet. She was eliminated a few weeks after the scandal emerged.

3. Season 4 - Mario Vazquez was accused of sexually harassing an 'Idol' employee while he was a contestant on the show. He later dropped out of the show for "family reasons."

4. Season 2 - Frenchie Davis was booted from season two after admitting to having once worked for an adult Web site. An online petition campaign to bring her back failed.

5. Season 2 - Two years after being kicked off of 'Idol' because of a prior criminal record, Corey Clark claims he had a relationship with 'Idol' judge Paula Abdul.

6. Season 2 - Through his entire career, 'Idol' runner-up Clay Aiken has battled rumors and claims about his sexuality, including an Internet scandal involving what seemed to be a shirtless Aiken.

7. Season 7 - Carly Smithson progressed on "American Idol" Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008 amid controversy over her professional past. The Irish singer who once had a major-label deal, and solo album that flopped.

8. Season 4 - Two weeks after receiving a year's probation for drug possession and battery charges (and shortly before returning to rehab in California), 10th place finalist Jessica Sierra found herself back in a Tampa Bay jail for disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest.

9. Season 6 - Perhaps no other 'Idol' contestant caused more controversy than Sanjaya Malakar, who had Simon threatening to leave the show, received support from Howard Stern in hopes of destroying 'Idol's' reputation and caused a non-fan to go on a 12-day hunger strike in protest.

10. Season 5 - Court TV uncovers that Bucky Covington once tried to switch places with his twin brother to help him avoid criminal prosecution.

11. Season 5 – The identical Brittenum twins wow the judges, though no one knew the boys had outstanding criminal warrants. Both were charged in Georgia with forgery, theft by deception and identity fraud for allegedly using another man's identity to buy a car.

12. Season 4 - It's revealed that finalist Bo Bice was busted in 2001 for cocaine and marijuana possession.

13. Season 4 - Smokinggun.com reveals Scott Savol had a domestic dispute with his live-in girlfriend -- on Valentine's Day 2001, no less.

Do you think that a contestant’s past deeds should keep them from participating in this singing competition?

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IT'S BACK!

Tonight marks the season opener of American Idol and I will be there front and center. I have been a fan of the show from the premiere in the summer of 2002. I don’t watch a lot of reality television, in fact I only have two shows besides Idol that I refuse to miss (“Dancing with the Stars” and “Big Brother”). One of the cities the Idol train stopped in was one new home town of Dallas, Texas. Last summer on my way to work a traffic alert came over the radio informing that traffic was backed up on the freeway because of the auditions. Now I don’t know what talent was found in our fair city and the surrounding areas, but the first winner of Idol was from a little city about thirty miles outside of Dallas called Burleson.

Everyone knows the judges on American Idol, even those who don’t watch the show. There is the name dropping record producer Randy Jackson (I worked with Whitney and Mariah). The one hit wonder Paula Abdul (well actually it was an album) who always seems a little high to me (I’m just saying). And finally “The Simon”, he’s rude, crass, shallow, and insulting. I just love to hate them all.

For the next two weeks the show will be airing auditions, which are of course hilarious. Remember William Hung? I can’t wait to see who shows up this year. The thing is the show’s producers tend to show us more of the jokesters and wannabes, than the truly talented singers. I was lucky enough to catch the auditions of Tamara Gray, Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Stoddard, Justin Guarini, Fantasia, and Carrie Underwood. Well it’s time for me to pop some popcorn and settle in my favorite seat in front of the tube and check out what promises to be another entertaining season. Is anybody with me?

Check out this Mad TV spoof of American Idol.