Who made the finals on ‘American Idol’? Top 3 results show recap
Jessica Sanchez performed "I'll Be There" as Jimmy Iovine's pick Wednesday night. And after Thursday's results, she will be indeed in the finale. CREDIT: Michael Becker/FOX
Loading ...Sorry I’m so late on this but I was helping out my wife with a fundraiser for her nonprofit.
Joshua Ledet was eliminated tonight, creating a Jessica Sanchez/Phillip Phillips showdown for victory.
There were 90 million votes cast, which is pretty impressive.
This is the third year in a row we have a male/female combo. The past two years, the male won. A woman has not won since Jordin Sparks season six.
Why did Ledet get the fewest votes? My blog is not necessarily representative of the voters but his fans were not nearly as rabid as those for Jessica or Phillip.
The three judges and Jimmy Iovine seemed to favor Joshua. Jennifer Lopez will go down in “Idol” history with the most hyperbolic comment by saying Joshua had the best voice of the past half century. Nigel Lythgoe Friday morning admitted on Twitter that Joshua was his favorite, too. The judges gave him absurd numbers of standing ovations, lavishing praise over his voice, his stage presence, his ability to attack a song and really feel it. He had been in the bottom three once before but has generally stayed out of trouble. He was arguably the most consistent Wednesday night.
Loading ...But as we talked about here time and time again, his gospel stylings (which some deemed “screaming”) turned a significant portion of the viewers off. With just three singers left, he was least able to build enough of a voter pool to overcome what has presumably been a Phillip’s lead (since he is the only singer who has not been identified as being in the bottom two. Note that last week, he may have stood next to Hollie Cavanagh but Ryan Seacrest never said he had the second fewest votes.)
[UPDATE: Lythgoe in a Twitter message Friday surprisingly noted that there was no clearcut leader throughout the competition, despite the fact Phillip has never appeared to be close to being eliminated. And the themes for next week:
1.The contestant’s favorite song of the series.
2. A song chosen by Simon Fuller.
3.The contestant’s individual winner’s single]
While I generally prefer Phillip, I am hoping Jessica wins for “Idol’s” sake. They need to stop the WGWG train, which has been dominant since season seven. I think winning is more beneficial for her than Phillip anyway.
Jimmy Iovine’s comments on each song:
Joshua “I’d Rather Go Blind”: Joshua had a good night last night. Not his best night but a good night. I think the judges were very generous on ‘I’d Rather Go Blind.” It was kind of right down the middle.. but didn’t show me where Joshua’s career might be going. Would I have given it a standing ovation? No.”
Joshua “Imagine:” I believe Joshua is the best showman we have in the competition right now. Tonight, he picked ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon which has a brilliant lyric but has a very simple melody. What he had to do was overcompensate with riffs and runs. To me, that didn’t work. It was slightly overblown. The song rests on its subtlety. It’s like putting a Ferrari on a racetrack and leaving it in first gear. It was not the right song for him.”
Joshua “No More Drama”: He needs the big moment. Last night, it was something missing. In fairness, I gave him a song that didn’t have enough melody. Joshua needs melody. I take 100 percent responsibility for that. Does Joshua belong in the finale? 100 percent. He should be in anyone’s finale
Jessica “My All”: I don’t think it came together enough.
Jessica “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing”: The judges seemed to feel it came together at that moment. To be frank, I needed more than that… To win, she has to have the most magical moment so far.
Jessica “I’ll Be There”: Last night, I chose ‘I’ll Be There’ by Jackson 5… Jessica’s voice reminds me of one of the greatest voices in pop history in Michael Jackson. What I didn’t think of in choosing this song was that it was going to be two minutes and that in order to build it to a peak, she’d have to be two different people. She had to sing Jermaine’s part, then Michael’s part. I should have caught that. I think that hurt her. Does she deserve to be in the finals? I think she deserves to sing on the Grammys. She’s got an incredibly gift. If she gets in the finale, it’s about the songs.”
Philip “Beggin’ ” : Originally the Four Seasons, covered by MadCon. It was entertaining and fun. At this point, Phillip’s sound is becoming more and more original and less derivative of other artists. Did it steal the show? As one of three songs, it was no harm, no foul.
Phillip “Disease”: What I like about Phillip is he’s willing to risk everything and go down in flames just to experiment. I give it up for him for that. Last night, I agreed with the judges. It was a snoozefest. That song was not a strong enough song to sing at this point in this competition.
Phillip “We’ve Got Tonight”: Phillip won the night with Bob Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight.” Hands down, it was his best performance he’s done in the entire contest. It was the best performance of anyone last night. He hit notes I never thought he could hit. I don’t think he thought he could hit them. But he was flawless. There is a dark mood and aching soul that he pulled out. I was genuinely knocked out. There was a depth I hadn’t seen all year.
“Idol” named three of the season 12 audition cities: Los Angeles, Chicago and Newark, N.J. Will they come back to Atlanta? Don’t know yet.
The Ford ads have not had Phillip in them for weeks. Word is: it’s doctor’s orders given his medical problems. He needs a day of rest.
Join my Facebook fan page and Twitter.
By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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470 comments Add your comment
Sweetbee
May 18th, 2012
8:09 am
What happened to my comment on AI dated 5/17/12? And why was it deled from the blog?
Sweetbee
May 18th, 2012
8:12 am
What happened to my comment on AI dated 5/17/12? And why was it deleted from the blog?
pebblebeach
May 18th, 2012
8:13 am
Joshua …all screams…like Patti Lebelle does
SMOKEY
May 18th, 2012
8:14 am
AMERICA IS STUPID AS HELL VOTING PHILLIP IN. HE CAN NOT SING HIS WAY OUT OF A PAPER BAG. HELL, HELEN KELLER CAN HEAR AND SEE HE CAN’T SING. BUT CONGRATS TO JOSH. YOU WILL GO FAR.
Breezy
May 18th, 2012
8:25 am
Happy for Phillip and sorry Joshua is gone. @ Glenn & cujo, very good observations and insightful.
Declan Georgia
May 18th, 2012
8:36 am
Come on Rodney- you expect us to believe your married to a woman?
Rickster
May 18th, 2012
8:38 am
Rickster
April 20th, 2012
12:53 pm
You realize of course now that we’ve gotten rid of Colton, that will galvanize/solidify the vote that he split with Phillip.
Ladies and gentlemen… your American Idol for 2012 is……………
(dramatic Ryanesque pause)
Phillip Phillps!
Rickster
May 18th, 2012
8:39 am
And I’ll remind you of my successful prognostication next week at this time!
SMOKEY
May 18th, 2012
8:43 am
WHERE IS MY COMMENT?
Goodbye AI
May 18th, 2012
8:47 am
another non-singing/non performing pretty boy to join the ranks of Lee deWyze and Kris Allen….America voting based again on “looks”, definitely not talent. This boy couldn’t possibly be the best out of the thousands that auditioned for the show. AI, time to sign off….your 3 judges need to find real jobs….bring 24 back to the time slot…something worth watching.
Domiqua
May 18th, 2012
8:47 am
America is such a racist country – always down on da black man.
Rickster
May 18th, 2012
8:52 am
C’mon Decaln Georgia. Do you think Rodney would wear that hat if he didn’t have a wife telling him he looks good in it??
Dick Lark
May 18th, 2012
8:58 am
Joshua: This is a maaaaaaan’s a-world-uh! This is a maaaaaaan’s a-world-uh! But eh weh eh beh neh the -uh! (ggrrooowwwl) …without a white guy and a guurlll-uh – in the finals -uh!
J-Lo: Oh my God, baby! That was the best fantasy I’ve had in the past 50 years (lights a cigarette).
Rickster
May 18th, 2012
9:06 am
Okay… enough about Idol….
is it safe to talk about Grey’s?
DC
May 18th, 2012
9:10 am
Whoever made that comment about a black guy playing guitar wouldn’t win idol…he would be playing bass..zing! k..Glad PP is still in the game.
Laura
May 18th, 2012
9:13 am
Jessica, all the way, if you’re voting talent. Philip is certainly good looking, but this isnt a hunk contest.
Goodbye AI
May 18th, 2012
9:14 am
Joshua: “ggrrooowwwl all the way to the BANK baby!
Rickster
May 18th, 2012
9:14 am
Before we detour off topic:
Lisa Marie Pressley: just weird. FF’d
“The guy who came in second to Kris Allen (you know, Krics, the guy who actually won?)”: FFd
Dick Lark
May 18th, 2012
9:16 am
What do Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Kurt Cobain have in common? Yep, they are all (ugh) WGWG (white guy with guitar). Who likes them? Not us bloggers! What America really needs right now is a GBGS (gay black gospel singer) like Joshua Ledet or last season’s Jacob Lusk. Clearly GBGS’s have been more popular throughout pop culture history than any (ugh) WGWG. How on earth did a WGWG beat a GBGS? Especially after all that pimpin’ by the judges all season? I just don’t understand how America could get this so wrong.
Rickster
May 18th, 2012
9:18 am
Domiqua
May 18th, 2012
8:47 am
America is such a racist country – always down on da black man.
Oh yeah… we’re so racist that we elected Barak Obama.
K
May 18th, 2012
9:21 am
What father welcomes his son home with a gun attached to his pants (PPhillips ) What was the message ? Vote for Phillip America ? Phillip vs Joshua was never going to go down well with a gun toting Father.Joshua was the real voice here ! lots of hidden messages I guess that’s why Joshua felt relieved to have been eliminated .Having to compete with rednecks with guns is just not his style .What a shame America
why not
May 18th, 2012
9:27 am
some of these commentors are real jokes!
Dick Lark
May 18th, 2012
9:28 am
He gone poppa cap in yo aiss!
Grasshopper
May 18th, 2012
9:31 am
K
May 18th, 2012
9:21 am
What father welcomes his son home with a gun attached to his pants (PPhillips ) What was the message ?
Mommy, the big bad gun fwightens me. Whaaa…sniff sniff…
G
May 18th, 2012
9:37 am
Guess all is right with the world now……
Jessica will win
May 18th, 2012
9:41 am
how does anyone know Jessica was not the top vote getter? 90 million votes, whew.
sharon
May 18th, 2012
9:42 am
It seems like the kiddies are up and o ntheir computers
Deirdre
May 18th, 2012
9:43 am
Morning!
Bk, I don’t know who Drew is either.
. I meant to say Hollie and left out skunkhair
Deirdre
May 18th, 2012
9:46 am
Sorry that some are disappointed. I would have been happy with any of the top three a the new Idol. One of them had to go. I liked Joshua a lot but I also like Phil and Jessica so I’m good.
Dick Lark
May 18th, 2012
9:48 am
K
May 18th, 2012
9:21 am
What father welcomes his son home with a gun attached to his pants (PPhillips ) …Having to compete with rednecks with guns is just not his style .What a shame America
I agree wholeheartedly. WGWG’s should not be allowed to own guns! Why, I was just having this very same discussion with the two nice young men of color who held me up at the ATM downtown yesterday.
G
May 18th, 2012
9:51 am
Daughtry was my favorite WGWG. I voted for him and he didn’t even finish in the top 2, 3, or 4. Daughtry > Phillips in terms of talent, entertainment, and everything else. How is it that PP has finished higher than Daughtry? Look at Daughtry’s success. Is PP good enough to surpass? PP fans please enlighten……
blkshepherd
May 18th, 2012
9:52 am
I have already said this once before, Joshua will be Fine. I am so happy he did not win so that he can become successful much like several others who did not win but are doing far better than those that Did take the top prize. ie Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard and a couple of others.
Its Not about winning American Idol its about Exposure.
Btw. While not a huge fan of Joshua’s screaming the Screaming and over the Top performance of Adam Lambert had my ears bleeding. That was rough and unpleasant and while I love Adams’s lower key calm voice the screaming makes me want to push the mute button until his lips close.
I Notice the Judges didnt give him a Standing Ovation either but what do I know I am just a German Shepherd ROOF!ROOF. That was horrid. His hair did look good though.
I wonder if he did that to please Lisa Marie. Because it certainly looked like a Rip off of Elvis famous hairdo aka 1956-57.Great Look back then. Speaking of the King of Rock n Roll, his daughter Lisa Marie..Bless her heart but who Told her that she could sing? OMG.
Now I loved the King of Rock an Roll he had a very sweet calm soothing voice and could belt too when he needed too. But poor Lisa sings about as well as Chasity Bono(who become Chaz Bono who cant sing a note and not a good dancer either! again a celebrity child riding on their parents Famous name. Girlfriend Looked and sounded like a Witch. The band looked creepy the setting. my goodness is it Halloween so soon already? Her performance left me Limp and confused and wanting to watch a Spooky movie with Vampires complete.
Only Stevie Nicks can pull off the Gothic look except the difference is Stevie actually can Sing. Poor Lisa, I dont know what that was last night but it sure as hell wasent singing.
I will buy Joshua’s remake of Its A Man’s Man’s Man’s World. I thought Only James could sing that with feeling and meaning. I was wrong. It now belongs to Joshua which I see good things coming his way. He is Still a winner and he showed that last night better than he did on any of his past performances. He will be fine.
Dick Lark
May 18th, 2012
9:56 am
blkshepherd – classic comment! OMG girlfriend, you had me rolling on the floor.
Rickster
May 18th, 2012
9:58 am
So… GREY’S SPOILER ALERT!!
Got Lexi wrong – though it did show Mark how much he loved Lexi. Sorry to see her go.
Still think Arizona is history. (Especially after Callie’s “Life is great” speech.)
Didn’t see Teddy’s departure coming.
Why didn’t Hunt have one of them call at any (or all) of the following milestones?
Once they landed at their destination
Once they got to the hospital
Once the operation was over
Just before they departed for the return leg
Why did he wait until the end of the night to check messages?
For a supposed Army officer… kinda dumb to me.
Dick Lark
May 18th, 2012
9:58 am
Gay?! Did someone insinuate that Joshua (”Hollie iss my besss friend”) Ledet is gay – what? – and Liberace, too?? Wow, I didn’t see that coming.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Angie_B
May 18th, 2012
10:00 am
A Jessica and Joshua pair will be an epic final! Thanks to screaming young girls and the judges constant overreacting standing ovation of Joshua! Since Joshua is gone…I will go for Jessica. Her voice is just way superior than that of Phil phil.
Barkley
May 18th, 2012
10:00 am
I have liked Joshua the whole season and thought he should have been the winner. HOWEVER, I knew he would not for two reason: do much “gospel” backup in many songs and dress. He should have been more R&B, Luther Vandross stuff so younger people would like it and relate more. Then, those tight little jackets he worn 80% of the time — is that the new youth look? Many looked like something Liberace would wear but his would be bigger. He should have gone with a more youth oriented look such as when he wore a sweater or vest…will miss him in finale as Phillip will win due to the girlie vote and just be a flash in the pan in the recording business just like the last two WGWG winners.
Mercedes S.
May 18th, 2012
10:03 am
Can somebody please spill the beans on the last “Grey’s”? Spoilers and all! Who died? Spielberg’s stepdaughter?
Mercedes S.
May 18th, 2012
10:05 am
Sorry… took forever to post the comment above. Rickster still not explicit enough…
blkshepherd
May 18th, 2012
10:09 am
@Dick Lark, just for the record I am a boy dog ;-D ROOF ROOF!
Whitb99
May 18th, 2012
10:10 am
Josh just screamed most of the time. He thinks he’s better than he is, and the judges spent all season stroking his ego. It’s undeniable that the boy has a gift, but he just needs to learn how to better use it. Jessica is a great singer as well, but she gave her worst performances on the May 16th show. That Mariah Carey song was hardly appropriate for a girl Jessica’s age: The lyrics are about a woman yearning to have a man’s body next to hers. I’m sure Jessica’s dad loved that song choice. Phillip is the true artist. He may not have the strongest voice technically, but he’s the most talented musically. And he’s certainly the most humble, which gets one far on a show like AI.
Dick Lark
May 18th, 2012
10:13 am
blkshepherd, I figured that, I was just yankin’ your chain. It was a funny and accurate post!
G
May 18th, 2012
10:17 am
Let me get this straight…….If you plan on being a successful r&b contestant on Idol, you have to package yourself after Ruben or Luther to win. NO “screaming” or any type of emotion is allowed or tolerated by the Idol mainstream. Follow that formula, pray the judges don’t give you a standing O, then the mainstream will surely support you.
Mercedes S.
May 18th, 2012
10:19 am
G, a justified, occasional, standing ovation is OK.
blkshepherd
May 18th, 2012
10:20 am
Dick lark, you funny. “..yanking my chain” LOL I have to do that to my shepherds occasionally yank their chain!
Deirdre
May 18th, 2012
10:24 am
Rickster, thanks for the alert as I have not seen the episode yet.
G, Daughtrynfinished fourth.
Skyhook
May 18th, 2012
10:27 am
Not making excuses here, but PP has been performing in a lot of pain all year. As good as he has been, we have not seen his best. He is scheduled to have surgery to repair a faulty kidney stint at soon as the final is over, and prior to them going out on tour.
As far as his father is cincerned. I have known Donnie for over 40 years. He owns a pawn shop in a declining area of town, and wears the gun just in case. He grew up in that area and in spite of what most business’s in Albany have done, he chose to remain, rather than relocate.
He is a role model as to how he handles his children with his unconditional love and support for his children. The Phillip’s family is a great family, and I could not be more pleased that Phillip has this unique opportunity ahead of him. Whatever happens, he will conduct himself with grace and dignity, which is a refreshing change from how most young artist conduct themselves today.
Deirdre
May 18th, 2012
10:27 am
It’s going to take me awhile to get used to typing on the iPad. I promise, from now on, I’ll be a LOT more tolerant of typos!
Bob
May 18th, 2012
10:28 am
Josh got robbed.
And I’m not a Josh fan.
I do not understand why, of all the really good people, Phillip has to waste his time competing against this Toddler in a Tiara. Pathetic.
Deirdre
May 18th, 2012
10:29 am
@Skyhook, Phil’s dad has every right to wear a firearm whether he owns a pawnshop or not. You won’t hear me complain.