Lauren Alaina Returns to the American Idol Stage
Lauren Alaina returned to the stage that made her famous last night.
The season 10 runner-up made a triumphant appearance again on American Idol, belting out a version of the track "Georgia Peaches" on the first finalist results show, one that sent Jeremy Rosado packing. Check out the fun performance now:
In other Idol news:
- Mary J. Blige also performed a song during the episode.
- Phillip Phillips, one of the season's top contenders, is suffering from a kidney stone ailment but plans to soldier on.
- Only 12 contestants remain!
Mary J. Blige Asks "Why" on American Idol Results Show
American Idol delivered bad news to Jeremy Rosado last night, as this aspiring singer became the first finalist to be eliminated on season 11.
But the competition also provided a bit of good news for Jeremy a, audience members in attendance and viewers around the world, as one of this generation's true superstars took to the stage and gave the Idols an idea of how it's truly done.
Take it away, Mary J. Blige! Check out this superstar's rendition of "Why," courtesy of last night's results show, now:
American Idol Results: The First Finalist Eliminated Is...
American Idol is now down to 12.
Following an evening that paid tribute to Whitney Houston and Stevie Wonder - and included the Performance of the Season in Jessica Sanchez's "I Will Always Love You" rendition - the Fox competition sent its first finalist packing tonight. And the unlucky contestant was...
... Jeremy Rosado!
The Jer-Bear was a bundle of nerves prior to his cover of "Ribbon in the Sky" last night, knowing he was a judges' Wild Card pick from the week before and really had to prove himself to viewers. Sadly, he won't have any more opportunities to do so.
What do you think? Did Jeremy deserve to go home?
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Phillip Phillips Rushed to Hospital for Kidney Stones
Fresh off another very strong performance, the future of one of our favorite American Idol contestants is in doubt.
TMZ confirms that Phillip Phillips - who covered Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" to close out last night's performance show - was rushed to the hospital this morning with abdominal pain.
Details remain scarce, but sources close to the singer say the condition may be gallstones and that Phillips suffered through a similar condition in January and also sought medical attention for it at that time.
Let's all hope the scare isn't anything serious and that Phillips, who Randy Jackson compared to Dave Matthews last week and who sits near the top of all power rankings, is healthy enough to continue on the show.
We'll update this story as more news breaks.
UPDATE: Phillips WILL do all he can to remain in the competition, his father says, confirming his son is going through kidney stone difficulties but will postpone all procedures until his run on Idol is complete.
Jeremy Rosado: Velvety Smooth on American Idol!
The pressure was on for Jeremy Rosado last night.
This American Idol finalist may have advanced to the final 13, but he did so as a Wild Card selection, meaning he really had to impression with his version of "Ribbon In The Sky" in order to win over viewers.
Did he succeed? Meh. Randy wasn't a huge fan of the performance, but Steve was all about Jeremy's "velvety smooth" voice. As for Jennifer Lopez? She watched the audition with tears in her eyes. We assume she meant them as a compliment.
Do you think Rosado deserves another shot?
Heejun Han Hands Out Autographs, Covers "All is Far" on American Idol
Allow us to make the following request, American Idol producers:
If Heejun Han does not survive this week's cut, can you bring him back as Ryan Seacrest's co-host? Please? Pretty please?
The season 11 hopeful cracked us up last night before singing a single note, as he brought Mary J. Blige and Jimmy Iovine an autographed picture of himself. He then went on to belt out a nearly flawless version of "All is Fair."
A couple notes got away from Han near the end, however, which led Randy to comment about the audition merely being "really good" instead of "perfect." Like us, however, J. Lo loves this finalist so much that she couldn't bring herself to criticize him.
Watch the performance now and judge for yourself:
Erika Van Pelt Gives Out "Goosies" on American Idol
With the bar set very high by Jessica Sanchez and her rendition of "I Will Always Love You" on American Idol last night, Erika Van Pelt couldn't have expected to clear it.
But did she come close to matching it? Yes, if you base your opinion on the judges.
Van Pelt covered Whitney's "I Believe in You and Me" for her audition and was told be Jennifer Lopez that gave the panelists "goosies" before even singing a note. Randy chimed in with props for the contestant's "unbelievable tone," while Steven added that she simply has a "beautiful fantastic voice."
Watch now and see if you feel the same way:
Skylar Laine Asks "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?"
Skylar Laine says she's actually never sung a Whitney Houston song before.
With "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," she may have done the late icon justice.
To be sure, Skylar Laineis no Whitney Houston ... or even Jessica Sanchez.
However, American Idol often rewards the underdog who strays out of his or her genre and picks up unfamiliar or challenging material quickly.
She doesn't sound like Whitney, but Skylar is who she is, and that's formidable - a country girl who has proved she can sing anything. Take a listen:
Josh Ledet Makes a "Wish" on American Idol
"Mantasia" himself, Joshua Ledet, led off American Idol's Top 13 with a rendition of Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" that he said was "totally out of my comfort zone."
With a little help from a piano player with a gospel background similar to Joshua's, you wouldn't have known it Wednesday night. He did a nice job with it.
A pretty safe performance, perhaps, but a respectable one.
"You just wore it out, at the top of the show," Randy Jackson, never one to exaggerate at all, tells him. "You've got this amazing Church of God in Christ kind of voice ... If you feel the beat and rock like that, you can sing anything."
Watch Josh Ledet perform below and see if you agree:
Colton Dixon Makes Like Stevie Wonder on American Idol With "Lately"
Stevie Wonder. Colton Dixon.
Those two things may seem like oil and water, and vocally, the latter's rendition of the former's "Lately" was not up there with the likes of Phillip Phillips.
Nevertheless, he overcame any shortcomings in his pedigree and made do with effort and charisma ... and besides, he's got the heart throb thing down.
How much you like Colton Dixon likely depends on your age and gender, and how far he lasts this season will hinge on whether he can expand that appeal.
His "base" got him here, but he needs swing voters to carry him to the next level. Can it happen? An open question, but he's not going home after this:
