Lewis, One of 2007's Hottest Bachelors

Well, he didn't make the cover like Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks did last year, but Blake Lewis needn't hide his sexy head in shame. People magazine has named Lewis one of 2007's Hottest Bachelors, in their issue of the same name that hits the stands tomorrow featuring Matthew McConaughey on the cover.

The magazine's Web site says that the "American Idol" runner-up admits that, deep down, he's the sensitive type: "I'm the dozen roses kind of guy. I've done some serenading. In an intimate setting singing to a girl is beautiful."

What does Lewis look for in a woman? Independence, spontaneity, a heart of soul; someone who can take care of herself and is not too needy, is attractive ("there's got to be some chemistry"), likes to have fun and "likes cheesy white guys, like myself."

The biggest turn off? Someone who whines and complains a lot, is negative, pessimistic ("I'm very optimistic, focused and driven").

You can watch a video of the People photo shoot of Blake Lewis here.

SINGING THE SAME TUNE

Included in a USA Today article titled "They sing to their dads' tunes" was Sesaon 6 semi-finalist Sundance Head and his day, singer Roy Head.

The offspring: A 2007 American Idol Top 24 finalist, Sundance, 28, impressed judges with a performance of Bobby Blue Bland's "Stormy Monday." A blues shouter by nature, he plans to record an album of R&B duets with fellow Idol contestant Sabrina Sloan.

The springboard: Roy, 66, had a No. 2 hit in 1965 with "Treat Her Right," a horn-drenched rave-up that practically defined the notion of blue-eyed soul. A dancer who could hang with the likes of James Brown and Jackie Wilson, the elder Head also had a string of minor country hits during the '70s and early '80s and still tears it up on the oldies circuit.

How dad was instrumental: "As soon as I realized I couldn't be the showman that he was, I decided to play guitar," Sundance says. "That way, I didn't have to move. I started out using the guitar as a shield, but I ended up being pretty good at it."

On Idol, "they were giving us a song a day to learn. I called Dad and said, 'I've gone over (this song) so many times that I don't even know what it is anymore.' He said, 'You're over-studying it. If you're on stage and you forget the lyric, just make up lyrics that sound like the ones you should be singing. If you act like nothing's wrong, nobody will even notice it.' That got me through the L.A. auditions."

AYLA BROWN MOVING 'FORWARD'

In a story about Season 5 semi-finalist Ayla Brown, Billboard.com says:

She may have missed making it into the top 12 on season four of "American Idol" by one spot, but former contestant Ayla Brown has still managed to stay in the public eye over the past year. Eighteen-year-old Brown has done a number of live performances in support of her debut album, "Forward," which was released last October via Double Deal Brand Records, and she is also a prominent member of Boston College's women's basketball team.

"It's really important to me to be able to sing as well as play basketball," says the Wrentham, Mass., native. She adds that although she wasn't one of the 12 finalists on "Idol," she's pleased with how everything turned out. "At first I was devastated because I didn't know where my life, musically, would lead me. I thought, 'I'm gonna go play basketball now; there's going to be no music in my life.' I really just thought that I wasn't ready for it. But after 'Idol,' I was offered [the chance] to make a CD, and I saw that as a door opening up. Thank goodness I took it, and now I'm able to do both."

"Forward" features songs penned by Diane Warren, Tommy Sims and David Eriksen, among others. Brown co-wrote two songs, "Thanks to You" and "Falling Into You." The album's initial singles, "Know You Better" and "I Quit," were released in September, and the current single, "Forward," is at mainstream AC radio now.

"I love this song," Brown says of the title track. "Mostly because of the bridge -- it comes in with this full chorus of people. It becomes almost this gospel sound." She adds that when performing for a middle school-aged crowd, she always includes the song "Love You Better" because "guys and girls love to get up and dance to that one."

Not only does she want to get tweens out on the dance floor, Brown hopes she serves as a role model to her audience as well. "A lot of younger artists are making bad decisions with their lifestyles," she says. "I really want to be one of those people who says, you can play sports, you can sing, you can be a good student, and no one is going to punish you for it."

This summer, Brown will make a number of public appearances, some of which will feature performances by fellow Massachusetts "Idol" contestant Nick Pedro. The two recently shared the stage at the Jimmy Fund's Scooper Bowl in Boston on June 6.

While there's no set timetable on a follow-up album, Brown says she wants to contribute more as a songwriter the next time around. "At first I didn't really know what the [songwriting] process was about," she admits. "I'd always been a basketball player growing up. But through the process, through 'American Idol,' I learned so much and what you can contribute."

And here are some excerpts from an interview with Brown done last month by The Sun Chronicle:

On who will have a more successful recording career, Blake Lewis or Jordin Sparks: Probably Blake, because he can do reggae and he can do the whole beat boxing thing. I could see him doing that whole contemporary vibe sort of thing and being extremely successful with it. [Jordin] would be successful too. However, we've seen singers like her in the past.

On which Season 6 contestants should have advanced further in the competition: I was disappointed that Stephanie Edwards didn't get put into the top 12, and Sabrina Sloan. I think those two were ones that America really got wrong in the earlier competitions, and I feel like if they had gotten in it would have been a different story.

On who will likely have the most successful career out of the Top 12: I think Chris Richardson will end up being pretty successful just because all the females seem to really, really like him. He's kind of like the next Justin Timberlake ... And I don't want to say Sanjaya [Malakar], but somehow I think Sanjaya's going to come out and be really successful. People can't get enough of him.

On how long the show can remain a ratings juggernaut: Everyone that I talk to, honestly, every single person watches it and none of them seem to be sick of it, and they've been watching it since season one. Based on trends that are happening with voting, people want different (types of contestants) in the competition and that's why they're voting for Sanjaya and Blake and Taylor Hicks. So I don't know if people are rebelling or just want someone obscure and unseen. But honestly I can't see "American Idol" fading out anytime soon.

On the likelihood of Season 6 contestants releasing albums: I'm curious to see how many release albums this year. It just seems as though season five had so many talented people that had the ability to release an album because they were just popular or talented enough. (Bucky Covington, Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry and Katharine McPhee have all released relatively high-profile albums since last season).

Her thoughts on her album, "Forward": I'm just so thankful to have the opportunity, and that someone saw the potential in me to make an album, because not all the people in the world get the ability to have that happen to them, so it's really a good feeling.

On what would happen if any of the "American Idol" judges changed: I think if there were judge changes, people wouldn't watch it. And because it's such a popular television show, I don't think "Idol" would take that chance.

SEASON 4 ROCKERS PLAN CD RELEASES

MTV interviewed "American Idol" vets Bo Bice and Constantine Maroulis on their CDs, due for release later this year.

So much for striking while the iron's hot. Instead of rushing out an album right after his ouster from the 2005 edition of "American Idol," Constantine Maroulis has spent the past two years indulging his love of musical theater, acting in a soap opera and putting together an empire under his snarkily named Sixth Place Productions banner.

"I'm an actor, I love to host and I'm a singer. I did Broadway, and I produced my own tours and started my own label," said Maroulis, who appeared on Broadway in "The Wedding Singer" musical and is currently playing a singer on the daytime drama "The Bold and the Beautiful." "Would I trade all that work for making one successful album right off the show? I don't have that answer. I think this record is better than the one I could have made right off the show. It's more grassroots — I picked the band, financed it and co-wrote a bunch of the songs."

The album, titled "Constantine," will drop August 7 on his label, with distribution from Sony/Red. Self-proclaimed "blue-collar guy" Maroulis is confident that his fans will find it and buy enough copies to keep him on the road. "I can sell a couple hundred thousand copies and do what I love to do: play clubs," he said. "I don't need to be a huge star."

Just in case, though, he did bring in some ringers, including Matchbox Twenty singer Rob Thomas, who co-wrote a song on the album, as well as Nashville songwriter Angie Aparo (Faith Hill's "Cry"). "It's got a distinctly rock sound, kind of an East Coast Bon Jovi/Rob Thomas vibe with great pop hooks," Maroulis said. The first single, "Everybody Loves," has been featured on "The Bold and the Beautiful" and is on iTunes now. The next single, "Girl Like You," will soon be tied to a story line on the show.

Season four's other rocker, No. 2 finisher Bo Bice, is also prepping an album for later this year: His yet-untitled sophomore release. His 2005 debut, "The Real Thing," featured assists from Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Nickelback's Chad Kroeger and former Evanescence member Ben Moody that were brokered by Bice's label. The longhaired Southern rocker says he called the shots this time around.

The album, which Bice is recording with noted country producer Frank Liddell (Faith Hill, Dixie Chicks), features the music hound's wish list of famed session masters. "I was throwing around ideas of the people I wanted to play on it," Bice said. "And I was like, 'Yeah, sure, these guys will play on my album. Right!' " But a few phone calls landed him Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell — who Bice met a decade ago when he delivered a package of Christmas CDs to Leavell's house — as well as Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman, legendary session guitarist Waddy Wachtel (Keith Richards, Tom Waits) and bluegrass icon David Grisman.

"It's a star-studded cast, and I'm the only one on there who's not famous," the ever-humble Bice joked. "I picked and co-wrote the songs that if I was a guy who would be spending my hard-earned money buying an album I would want to hear." That means original back-to-basics Southern rock and country-tinged singer/songwriter tunes co-written with A.J. Croce (son of 1970s singer Jim Croce) and Chris Tompkins (Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats").

Bice said he wrote 31 songs for the album and is narrowing down the list to 10-12 that will make the final cut, including four songs that are currently vying to be the first single.

"I didn't have a lot to do with the first record," said Bice, who took time off in late 2006 to have another surgery to finally correct a nagging intestinal blockage that hospitalized him 15 times last year. "It was very RCA and Clive [Davis]-driven. It was an excellent album, but it was a revolving door of one guy in this week, another guy the next. This time I was here for every aspect [of it], and I'm a lot more comfortable."

Bice and Maroulis were the trailblazers for rock singers on "Idol." They paved the way for the show's latest breakout star, last season's No. 4 finisher Chris Daughtry, a fact Bice takes pride in.

"It made me proud that Chris said I was part of what inspired him to audition," said Bice. "There was never a bone in my body that thought I was going to win or make it that far. To see people progress and see more rock people on there makes me proud."

SIGHTING

"American Idol" third-place finisher Melinda Doolittle, outfitted in jeans, T-shirt and Prada bag, trying on sneakers at Niketown on E. 57th Street in Manhattan with a male sidekick, says the New York Daily News.

SHERMAN PORE VIDEO

Watch video of Season 6 "contestant" Sherman Pore singing "Eternally"


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Idols in Undies

We knew Ebony Jointer, one of the trio of roller-skating carhops on the "The Best of the Rest" audition show, was a hot little number, but we didn't know how hot until Reality TV Magazine uncovered that during the 2005 season, the 23-year-old from Hacienda Heights, Calif., was a member of the Chicago Bliss, a Lingerie Football League team that competed in the Lingerie Bowl, a pay-per-view flesh football contest that aired during halftime shows.

Ebony's other career highlight is a turn as "Bikini Model #5" in the movie "Pauly Shore Is Dead" (a more egregious credit than Lingerie Football in our view). She is also credited on an Internet modeling site with having been on "America's Next Top Model," though not as a contestant. FOX had no comment on Jointer's previous career excursions, but we can't help wondering whether her resume played a part in why the golden-throated skater did not appear on the leaked Top 24 list.

AKRON: IDOL INFORMED

TMZ.com reports that fallen Idol contestant Akron Watson is claiming that FOX producers knew about his 2003 pot bust, "from the very very first day, before I even auditioned."

On a radio interview with "Tony & Cappy In the Morning" on KDMX in Dallas, Watson said producers have still not come clean with him about why he was told he wouldn't be making the trip to Hollywood. "I questioned and questioned, and they had a psychologist call me because they thought that I might be flipping out, but I just really wanted to know why I went down there and earned my ticket and didn't get a chance to go."

Although there is speculation that the marijuana conviction led to Watson's dismissal, it seems unlikely to us. Criminal or unsavory backgrounds have led to contestant eliminations in the past (i.e. the Brittenum twins during Season 5's Hollywood rounds) -- even during the live rounds (Jaered Andrews, Frenchie Davis and Corey Clark in Season 2). But in the midst of Season 4, TheSmokingGun.com revealed that contestant and eventual runner-up Bo Bice had a couple of arrests and one conviction for drug possession, while fellow finalist Scott Savol had been arrested for domestic abuse. Neither Bice nor Savol were eliminated for their pasts. Reps for "Idol" continue to have no comment on the controversy.

WHAT SONG WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

People magazine asked some celebs what song they'd choose for an Idol audition. Here are their answers:

• Nelly Furtado: I would sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" just to be different.
• Neil Patrick Harris: "Rocket Man" by Elton John. It has good range. It tells a bit of a story but it's not so straight on the nose like I'm singing about long-lost love or something. And Elton John is pretty kick-ass.
• Deborah Gibson: I would sing "Lost in Your Eyes" so I could get the royalty check since I wrote it. No, really, I would sing something by Richard Marx because his melodies are amazing and then there's no pressure to sound like the original artist because he's a man. I think the biggest mistake (contestants) make is singing a song by someone of the same sex who they can't hold a candle to. So I'd probably sing "Right Here Waiting for You." Something simple and melodic.
• Katie Couric: "Faithless Love" by Linda Ronstadt.
• Lauren Conrad (The Hills): Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." I've karaoke'd it many times.
• Andy Roddick: I don't sing. If I ever did something musical for a girl it would not end up in me getting her. It would end up in her walking away. I wish I was musical. I am so jealous of people who can sing. Maybe if they had Menudo night or .Bananarama with some fun 80s music, I could get away with something
• Billy Bob Thornton: I'd sing "When The Levee Breaks" [by Led Zeppelin]. That's a song that's very apt for the times.

PORE IN NAME, RICH IN HEART

According to Celebrity Spider, 64-year-old Sherman Pore, who sang The Duprees' "You Belong to Me" on the L.A. audition show, says he petitioned the show's producers to let him sing for the judges as a tribute to his late partner, Melissa Miller, who had died just two days before audition. Since the show aired, Pore has since appeared on a number of news shows, where he has fought back tears to explain his decision to become an American Idol.

He said, "She passed away on Friday morning and for the next day and a half I was sitting around the apartment dumping several buckets of tears, and she said, 'Stop your crying, get off your tail and go out and do what you promised.' "

For those of you who missed Pore's touching audition, you can catch it on YouTube here.

IDOL ALUMNI NEWS

Fans of Season 2 finalist Kimberley Locke can catch the video of her new single, "Change" (see Chartwatch below), exclusively on AmericanIdol.com. Listening to it is another reminder of how much talent has flowed from Idol in a scant five years.

Locke's sophomore album, "Based on a True Story," scheduled for an April release, is a much more “hands-on” project for the singer, who only co-wrote one song on her first album. She assisted in the writing of nine songs on "Based."

The song-writing sessions were a very emotional experience for Locke, who admitted she cried during many because they entailed divulging aspects of her personal life to her co-writers. The song "Change" is about a pivotal moment in Kimberley's life when she was deciding whether or not to stay with her ex-fiance.

Locke still keeps in touch with many people from Idol, particularly those who were behind-the-scenes, including music director Michael Orland, makeup artist Mezghan Hussainy and hair stylist Dean Banowetz. She also talks regularly to both Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken.

Locke's business interests include Croton Creek Steakhouse and Wine Bar in Croton, N.Y. She’s also taking acting lessons and will be touring in support of the album release in late summer or early fall.

... She only came in 7th on Season 3 of Idol, but in the past two months Jennifer Hudson has won the Golden Globe and SAG Best Supporting Actress awards for her role as Effie White in "Dreamgirls," as well as an Oscar nomination in the same category. Now on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m., Hudson will be interviewed by Barbara Walters for her annual pre-Oscars special.

Hudson, who will discuss her Idol experience, tells Walters that if she had won "America Idol" she probably would not have gotten the role of Effie. Also appearing on the special are Hudson's "Dreamgirls" co-star and Best Supporting Actor nominee Eddie Murphy, as well as Best Actress nominee Helen Mirren and Oscar host Ellen DeGeneres.

... Donna Reynolds' Idol Chartwatch reports that Katharine McPhee’s new CD debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, selling 116,000 copies in its first week, second only to Norah Jones’ "Not Too Late." McPhee's album was #5 on the Internet Album sales chart and #2 on the Digital list. Katharine’s staying power on the charts will depend on how well her single “Over It” does.

"Daughtry" took third place this week, with almost 77,000 more copies sold in the album’s 11th week of release. The album was #8 on the Internet Album sales chart, #6 on the Digital chart and #1 on Top Rock Albums.

"Dreamgirls," featuring Jennifer Hudson, was #7 on the Billboard 200, #16 on the Internet Album sales chart, #1 on the Soundtracks chart and #4 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Carrie Underwood’s "Some Hearts" dropped 10 spots to #24 on the Billboard 200. It was #3 on the Country chart; Taylor Hicks was down 13 spots to #76 on the Billboard 200; Fantasia was #90 on the Billboard 200 and #18 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart; Kellie Pickler’s "Small Town Girl" was #87 on the Billboard 200 and #12 on the Country chart. Ruben Studdard’s "The Return" was #62 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart; Kelly Clarkson’s "Breakaway" was #40 on the Pop Catalog chart.

This Week’s Idols Singles Charts

Katharine McPhee’s “Over It” debuted on five charts, including the Hot 100 (#48), the Pop 100 (#40), the Pop 100 Airplay chart (#44), Hot Digital Tracks (#25) and Hot Digital Songs (#32); Kellie Pickler’s “I Wonder” broke into the Country chart at #60. Her single “Red High Heels” was #78 on the Hot 100 and #77 on the Pop 100; Chris Daughtry’s “It’s Not Over” was #4 on the Hot 100, #15 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, #3 on the Pop 100, #7 on the Pop 100 Airplay chart, #3 on Hot Digital Tracks, #3 on Hot Digital Sales and #5 on the Adult Top 40 listing; Bucky Covington’s “A Different World” was #41 on the Country chart; Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” was #37 on the Hot 100, #42 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, #45 on the Pop 100, #49 on the Pop 100 Airplay chart, #31 on Hot Digital Tracks, #39 on Hot Digital Sales and #26 on the Adult Top 40. Her latest single, “Wasted,” broke into the Hot 100 at #94 and was #67 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. It was #14 on the Country chart; Clay Aiken’s “A Thousand Days” was #28 on the Adult Contemporary chart; Kimberley Locke’s “Change” was #19 on the Adult Contemporary chart; Jennifer Hudson’s “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” was #79 on the Hot 100, #55 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, #17 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles chart, #17 on the R&B Airplay chart and #10 on the R&B Adult airplay list; Fantasia’s “Hood Boy” was #36 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles chart, #36 on the R&B Airplay chart and #34 on the Adult R&B list; Ruben Studdard’s “Change Me” was #22 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles, #22 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart and #2 on the R&B Adult airplay list. It was #73 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart; Josh Gracin’s “I Keep Coming Back” was #30 on the Country chart.

Katharine McPhee’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” / “My Destiny” was #4 on the Single Sales chart this week, and Taylor Hicks’ “Do I Make You Proud” / “Takin’ it to the Streets” was #15.

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Bring Us Your Pore

Apparently we weren't the only ones touched by Sherman Pore's lovely tribute to his lost lady on the Los Angeles auditions segment. There appears to be a groundswell building at the bulletin boards of the official AmericanIdol.com site where a a petition has been created to bring Sherman back to sing on the Season 6 finale show. Hey, it would sure beat watching Toni Braxton try to paw Taylor Hicks on the finale, as we did last season.

Among the postings on the board, was this one from "ageless idol":
" ... His focus was not on himself but on how he could make someone else happy. I think it was one of the best most selfless moments of all of the American Idol seasons/shows and Simon's reaction to him was a lesson to us all that gracious behavior is needed and appreciated in this world today ... "

As we wrote this, 189 people (including us) had responded to the posting.

IDOL ALUMNI NEWS

... Reset your TiVo's DVR's or VCR's, according to the latest ABC press release, Katharine McPhee is now scheduled to appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Feb. 7 at 12:05 a.m. (not the 8th as previously reported here).

AmericanIdol.com reports that Season 4 semi-finalist and North Carolina native Sarah Mather picked up her stuff and moved to New York City a day after returning to her hometown. Since then, she’s been busy singing in local clubs (including The Bitter End and The Cutting Room), recording, and with some TV and modeling work. Mather writes and records music with her producer Ernie Lake. Her most recent project was shooting a video for a film called “Muhammed.”

Looking back on her Idol experience, Mather didn’t have anything negative to say about the judges and said she greatly appreciated their feedback. She called their critiques very constructive and said that you turn around and “take it and do what you want with it.” Sarah’s EP is available on iTunes.

The site also reports on Constantine Maroulis' latest charity venture. He is extending a contest opportunity which will benefit Grass Root Soccer/Kick AIDS. The individual who raises the most money for Grass Root Soccer/Kick AIDS will be flown into Birmingham on April 21, 2007, where they will accompany Constantine to Ethan Zohn’s Reality All-Star Soccer Festival and VIP Reception/Auction. The contest ends April 2, when all donations to Grass Root Soccer/Kick AIDS must be submitted.

Constantine will perform the National Anthem to kick off the soccer game, which he will also be playing in. He will be teaming up with the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra, Taylor Hicks’ band, for a mini concert at the VIP Reception/ Auction. For more information about Grass Root Soccer visit grassrootsoccer.org.

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Los Angeles: City of Angels and Fools

Idol went "home" to Los Angeles. Ah, home. It's where the heart is, isn't it? And Idol proved it with a very touching moment. We award the show a Golden Ticket for the season's best moment, featuring a very non-Idol-like Sherman Pore. Now if Sherman were, say, 24, instead of ummm, 64, he would have had the perfect backstory. It had guest judge Olivia Newton-John's eyes puddling up. It had Paula Abdul crying. It even seemed to touch crusty curmudgeon Simon Cowell.

Sherman didn't come to Idol for himself, he came for his lady, armed with a petition signed by more than 300 people asking the show to let him audition. Sherman's lady had cancer and he wanted to do something -- anything -- to keep her spirits up, so he decided he would try out for Idol. She loved the idea and worked with him on it to the end. Unfortuntely, Sherman's lady died two days shy of the audition date. There was a gasp when Sherman revealed this to the judges, but he told them he didn't want their sympathy, he just wanted to sing for his lady. So Simon told him they won't give him sympathy, but they would let him sing. And sing he did, a lovely rendition of The Duprees' "You Belong to Me."

Our only regret was that Simon didn't let him complete the song. For all the long, lousy auditions we've been forced to endure, this was one we would have gladly sat through. Afterward, Simon and Randy shook Sherman's hand and Simon told him he's a good man; Paula and Olivia embraced him. Outside the audition room, Sherman told the camera, and us, that he's won. We were -- and are still as we write this -- awash in tears. Yes, perhaps it was a contrived moment by the producers, but we still thank them for showing us a true American Idol.

Unfortunately, there were very few other good moments in Los Angeles, although overall it was a very mellow, if boring, show. The camaraderie between the three judges and guest judge Olivia Newton-John was obvious. Although she contributed little to the evening in terms of critiquing, they all seemed to like Newton-John very much, especially Paula and Simon.

Amazingly, we are told that a total of 40 people received Golden Tickets in L.A., but the night was dominated by the bad, the worse and the crazy. Quickly proving that he belonged in last category was panther boy and first auditioner Martik Manoukian, aka Eccentric. He told us, "I am a panther man. I’m the most exciting entertainer on planet Earth." He entered the audition room, stripped off some clothing, then went into his panther routine: clawing, crawling on all fours, growling, approaching the judges table then retreating, for what seemed like 5 minutes, until Simon irritably asked if they could just get on with the singing. Perhaps that was a mistake, it was even more annoying than what preceded it.

As bad and only slightly less delusional was Taylor Hicks-obsessed Phuong Pham, who received a bit of sympathy by telling the camera that her mother told her she wasn't pretty enough for TV and that she was no Katharine McPhee (thank god). However, the sympathy came to an abrupt halt when she told the judges she abandoned her music to please her family then went on to absolutely mutilate "Dancing in the Street." Her jerky body movements made Taylor's look graceful by comparison. She needs to be arrested by a Soul Patrolman. Quickly.

Sadder still was Marianna Riccio, whose mother had been one of Dean Martin's Golddiggers. Marianna is passionate about her singing, has been training her whole life and wants to carry on her family's show-biz tradition. There's only one problem: She stinks as a singer. When she performed "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" Simon told her they could answer that question. He said she sounds, and we agreed, like "Cher after she's gone to the dentist." In an utterly pathetic move, she got down on her knees and begged them to reconsider. It took forever to get her to leave, but then she returned to the audition room with her mom, who tried to vouch for her daughter's singing abilities. The saddest part of all occurred after the two finally left the room and Simon and Randy started talking about how foxy Marianna's mom is.

Further proving that Simon seemed to be on the prowl was Alaina Alexander, a struggling singer who weepily revealed that she was giving her career one last shot with Idol (yeah, yeah, wanna bet?). As far as Simon was concerned, she delivered with Michael Buble's "Feeling Good." We weren't so sure. As Randy would say, it was "aight," not great. In fact, Randy thought she was pitchy. But Simon thought was she great. She got four "yeses," though not overly enthusiastic ones, except from Simon, who told the others after she left that he really likes her. Or was it that tight tube top dress she wore that he really liked?

Then there was Eric Mueller, who had slitty blue eyes and said he had been training for idol for two years, even cutting off his social life (we're sure the females of America were grateful for that). He also said that people are going to hear his voice and think "I haven't heard anything like that in a long time." Yup, he was right. After telling the judges he had spent 4 to 5 hours a day teaching himself to sing, he went into a Hilary Duff song, and the voice issuing from his mouth might have been higher than Michael Jackson's. Simon thought it was a joke and asked him to sing in a lower pitch (as if that would help). Randy told him to sing in his own tone. In one of the night's funniest moments, Simon read Eric's background notes after he was dismissed and discovered, much to his delight, that Eric taught himself to sing with Paula's and Randy's "Ultimate Voice Coach" DVD. He ran out of the room to find Eric, trailed by Randy and Paula. Hilarity, as they say, ensued.

High on the "eeeeuwww" factor for us was overly affectionate couple Cavett "Sparkles" Carr and Darold Gray, who hail from Compton. Darold wore camouflage fatigues and sported a grill on his top teeth. OK, maybe we just don't get these things, but why would anyone want to put all that metal and bling in his mouth? Didn't "metal mouth" used to be a derogatory term? It just made us cring. But apparently grills don't get in the way of love. The way Sparkles and Darold were going at it, we wanted to scream, "Get a room."

Sparkles, up first, obviously had a thing for Simon. While outside Darold was telling Ryan how he and Sparkles were soul mates, inside she was licking her lips, winking and flirting with Simon, who actually seemed embarrassed. As we said, "eeeeuwww." Of course, Sparkles couldn't sing. After Darold finished his equally awful performance, Simon inquired, "Do you and your girlfriend sing together
at home?" When Darold responded affirmatively, Simon said, "Are the police ever called?" Darold answered, "It depends on what type of music we're listening to." Hmmmm.

Then there was Brian Miller, who also made it through last
year, but was eliminated during the Hollywood rounds. He sang "A Change Is Gonna Come" (nowhere as well as Taylor Hicks did during his Season 5 audition), and Simon told him, "Nice looking guy, nice voice, forgettable." When Brian asked if he'd improved since last year, Simon answered, "I can't remember you." But Randy liked his voice and Olivia liked his sweetness. He got through, with Simon saying "no." Anthony Adams, a cute guy who had no voice, actually agreed when Simon told him that not one note was in tune, an acknowledgment Simon seemed to appreciate. And Sholandric Stallworth, who said he wanted to bring back romance and love to music, and who was meant to remind us of Barry White, delivered an excruciatingly bad version of "If Ever You're in My Arms Again."

Best of the evening, which is not saying much, was
Brandon Rogers, a backup singer trying to move into the forefront. His sweet rendition of "Always on My Mind" left Paula and Olivia sighing. Simon said Brandon has a likeability and that he could see him moving into the finals. Perhaps, but we were surprised Simon didn't tell him that he sounded too old-fashioned. You can never tell with Cowell.

Next week the auditions finish up in San Antonio. Yee-ha!

IDOL UPDATE

In an AP interview, Season 5 finalist Chris Daughtry, who has Billboard's No. 1 album, discusses the first mini-scandal of his career, perpetuated by actress Melissa Joan Hart (“Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”). In a recent post on her MySpace.com page, an angry Hart claimed that Daughtry and his good friend, “Idol” also-ran Ace Young, were taking all the credit for writing “It’s Not Over.” Her husband, musician Mark Wilkerson, wrote an early draft of the song with producer Greg Wattenberg, who later asked Daughtry and Young to add a chorus.

“I’ve never met Melissa Joan Hart,” says Daughtry, who phoned Wilkerson, who was not aware of Hart’s rant, to smooth things over. “I don’t know her from Adam. If she’s mad at me for something that I don’t know about, that’s pretty funny actually! ... I was like, Sabrina’s mad at me? For WHAT?”

Hart has since removed the post, yet Daughtry remains bemused.

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