Ace Young (Ace Jung), Bucky Covington, Chris Daughtry (Chris Dawtry), Elliott Yamin (Eliot Yeaman) , Katharine McPhee (Katherine Catherine McFee), Kellie Pickler, Lisa Tucker, Mandisa Hundley (Huntley), Paris (London) Bennett (Brokeit) and Taylor Hicks (Tailor Hyx).
These are the archons of celebrity; the Mozarts of our evening; Life Itself. Perhaps I overstate. I wish them all the best of luck, but wish they would dare to be extraordinary.
Were I to give each one of them one piece of advice it would be this:
Taylor...focus on your resemblance to George Clooney.
Ace...Do some James Taylor.
Bucky...your ancestors were the king's musicians in the court of King Charles. Widen and deepen your musical palate.
Chris...Keep going, even if you don't fit the American Idol mold.
Elliot...Consider theatre or comedy. They need singers too.
Lisa...you are still young. Maybe too young even. Your time will come.
Paris...you too may be too young, but your personality makes me think of you as a TV personality.
Mandisa...You might be better off pursuing opera or movies. You may be too good for American Idol.
Kellie...lose the stupid and emphasize the radiant sexiness.
Katharine...Stay yourself and quit wearing frumpy clothes.
In figure skating, the skater's routine is limited by the music. If you can find something classic, memorable, slightly complex, emotional and widely popular without being overdone...you should benefit from the utilization of priorities in song selection.
Meditate and do tai chi before performing so you will not appear wooden and mentally elsewhere or discombobulated.
At this point, you have to perform at your highest, as the standards have risen with each paring away.
Remember Robert Frost's dictum: "No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No joy in the writer, no joy in the reader."
The same applies to your performance. Bring us joy. Make us cry.
But remember...you are all winners, and all will benefit greatly from the experience and exposure. Don't fret if you lose, since you've actually won already.
Love what you are doing.
