American Idol Overhaul: Season 3
Season 3 brought on the first of 3 auditions for American Idol. Ironically, it was the furthest that I made it in the competition. This was in the day where you HAD to camp out on the streets to save your spot. I remember getting to NYC 3 days before the audition and being like #367 in line. Spending $6 for a bottle of water and $10 for a hot dog. Making friends with your line neighbor because they would save your spot while you went to the bathroom. American Idol even had karaoke so that we could entertain ourselves while waiting. Sleeping on the streets was not fun at all. But somehow you managed to pull yourself together because you were about to audition for something amazing! After giving myself a baby wipe bath in the bathroom for 3 days, it was now my turn to give it my all for the cattle call auditions. Singing with 3 other people in the same line. All awaiting our fate. I went 3rd. The girl that went after me SANG HER FACE OFF. I knew for sure that she was going through. Well to my surprise, they asked me to keep my wristband. Everyone else had to step to the side and get it cut. I was beyond elated. This also meant that I had to stick around for another day. At least, I could get a hotel room with my well earned graduation money! Sang in front of Nigel and the other producers and once again, I get the pass onto the next round. That round would be in a month. I would told to wear the same clothing and not to alter my look drastically. Here it is September and my AI fate was in the hand of the three 3, Simon, Paula, and Randy. I walk in. Sing Lately by Stevie Wonder. The judges are smiling. Good sign. Randy says that I am good, not great. He says that I am cookie cutter of Ruben Studdard but still had a good voice. He didn't think that I was ready enough. He said NO....Paula was all smiles. She said that she loved my tone. She loved my emotion and even though I had Ruben qualities, she could still see me being my own artist. She said YES....Simon started out with saying that I had a great R&B voice. He also said that I need to believe in myself more. Great advice. He said YES....HOLLYWOOD!!! Fast forward to October. Hollywood week. NERVOUS and INTIMIDATED. I make it past the first solo round....phew! Now to the infamous group round. At the time, I let people kind of push me to the background. I wasn't confident. My group had too many cooks in the kitchen. Most of the time was spent changing ideas. Needless to say, we tanked...big time. Surprised that they didn't show it on TV lol. So that ended my Idol journey for Season 3. Enough about me. Here are my thoughts on the season that I felt the most connected to!
HALL OF FAME
It should come as no surprise who will get inducted from this season. A Hall of Fame inductee is someone that I could listen to all of the time. Vocally great. Has a lot of charisma. And can just flat out SANG!!!
Inducted previously from Seasons 1 & 2
KELLY CLARKSON
TAMYRA GRAY
TRENYCE
RUBEN STUDDARD
CLAY AIKEN
KIMBERLEY LOCKE
1st Inductee......
FANTASIA BARRINO
2nd Inductee.........
JENNIFER HUDSON
and 3rd Inductee.....
LATOYA LONDON
Check back soon for more entries and more season overhauls!!!
Until next time.....
THE FINALIST
LEAH LABELLE
She had SO MUCH potential. Great R&B/Pop stylings. She lost her way a couple of times with song choice.
MATT ROGERS
I was never a fan. In a season of vocals, he came out very one dimensional. Maybe I am a little salty because I could have had that spot lol. Seriously, his vocals did not match his onstage presence. Always fell a little short to me.
AMY ADAMS
Just a very pleasant voice. Nothing more that I can say.
CAMILLE VELASCO
Saw her at auditions and was wowed. Hollywood wowed. Live TV performances....left a lot to be desired. Her voice was magical. Different and could easily be memorable.
JON PETER LEWIS
He had a very nice tone to his voice. Soothing. Not a whole lot more to it though.
JENNIFER HUDSON
I was a fan from audition!! She was so awesome in person as well. That was the voice that I had been waiting on. One of the greats!!!
JOHN STEVENS
I appreciated the need to have a classic crooner on the show but........I NEVER UNDERSTOOD THIS ONE. His voice was so plain. He seemed so unsure all of the time.
GEORGE HUFF
His voice had so much character and always made me happy. Had some husk and grit.
LATOYA LONDON
One of the most polished contestants to ever grace the Idol stage. Her stage presence, her wardrobe, and her voice were just on another level. So mature but didn't come off as old fashioned.
JASMINE TRIAS
Potential but never really got there for me. She had moments but nowhere near her competition.
DIANA DEGARMO
She had sass and the voice to back it up! For being 16, I was always so surprised by her awesomeness.
FANTASIA BARRINO
Look here....she SANG from day one! There was never a doubt in my mind that she would be in the finals. She had all of the qualities of Aretha, Patti, Tina, and Gladys wrapped in one. She was one of the main reasons why I watched every week. Every performance was genuine and authentic. Hands down, one of the best!
WHO GOT ROBBED.......
LISA LEUSCHNER
One thing that I will never forget about Season 3 is the amount of DISGUST that I had when she did not make it into the final 12. She was in one of the worst overall groups in the Semi Finals and was clearly the best vocalist. I am still so mad over it! Lisa was a star waiting for the right moment. She had such a clear and present tone. High notes were never a problem. I wanted her to be in the Top 4 at least. SMH so angry!!!
SUZY VULACA
Suzy Vulaca - Unbreak My Heart
Just such a nice cemented voice! She seemed poised beyond her years and would have loved to hear where she could have gone on the show. She was better than most of the girls on that season.
TIARA PURIFOY
Tiara Purifoy - I Wanna Dance With Somebody
She had so much potential. Loved her style and her in your face vocals. She wasn't afraid to take risk and give it her all. If it were up to me, the top 12 would have had only one guy, George Huff. Those ladies SANG this season.
LEAH LABELLE
Leah Labelle - Let's Stay Together
I think that her going out 12th was a travesty. I needed her to make it a couple of weeks further. I think that she could grown a whole lot.
JENNIFER HUDSON
We all know about the 3 divas fiasco! She was just coming into her own. Hitting her stride on the show. Her leaving was CRAZINESS! I just didn't get it at all. I think that I remember tossing my phone because of how horrified I was. I just didn't make any sense to me.
LATOYA LONDON
Class. Elegance. I thought after the J Hud situation that her and Fantasia would clearly be in the finals. But she went out 4th....4th.....4th....ugh. So polished and came out of nowhere.
THE TOP 12 PERFORMANCES
12. Lisa Leuschner - Sweet Thing - Semi Finals
Lisa Leuschner - Sweet Thing
This performance was awesome. She kicked that song into high gear. I still don't understand how she slipped through the cracks. Her singing was superb for a song like this. Not an easy song to sing and especially in a condensed version. She nailed it!
11. Fantasia Barrino - Something To Talk About - Semi Finals
Fantasia Barrino - Something To Talk About
This was our first live performance from her and she showed out! Taking a country/blues classic and giving it her gospel inflection. Everything was great about this from start to finish.
10. Fantasia Barrino - What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life - Top 5
Fantasia Barrino - What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
Beautiful. She milked each emotion with this vocal. She wasn't just the hard hitting singer. She could show you her raw feelings and musicality. Subdued and relaxed.
9. Latoya London - Somewhere - Top 8
Latoya London - Somewhere
Full of finesse and class. The vocal control and restraint were very present here. So fantastic. She created a story out of this performance.
8. Jennifer Hudson - The Circle Of Life - Top 9
Jennifer Hudson - The Circle Of Life
She found herself here! No longer manic. No longer just singing notes because she could. There was passion and meaning behind the performance. Internal singing took over and it was fantastic thing!
7. Jennifer Hudson - I Have Nothing - Top 8
Jennifer Hudson - I Have Nothing
I know. Whitney and Mariah should not be touched. All I can say is that if you are gonna do their songs, you better bring it!!! She definitely brought it. She didn't stray far from the path and I think that was best because she can flat out SANG!
6. Diana DeGarmo - Don't Cry Out Loud - Top 3
Diana DeGarmo - Don't Cry Out Loud
With this song, she let America know that she can really sing. Most of her performances were always enough for her to get by with. This song cemented her place in the finals. That breath control. Those notes were held and shaped beautifully!
5. Latoya London - All By Myself - Semi Finals
Latoya London - All By Myself
This is when she put each and every contestant on notice! No one had seen any of her on the previous episodes. She came out the gate with guns blazing. Another classy performance!
4. Latoya London - Don't Rain On My Parade - Top 5
Latoya London - Don't Rain On My Parade
Stellar. In another class for the entire season. Seriously, she was fantastic from start to finish with this song!
3. Jennifer Hudson - Weekend In New England - Top 7
Jennifer Hudson - Weekend In New England
She went on and SANG the mess out of this. Told her story and felt each and every word. I can't believe that she got voted off after this performance. I still get goosebumps when she makes that transition. It was so concrete and confident.
2. Fantasia Barrino - Fool In Love - Top 3
Fantasia Barrino - Fool In Love
Look here! This lady SANG her face and SANG from her left heel! One of my favorite Tina songs and she did it more than justice! Her performance of this made it seem like she was putting on her own concert.
1. Fantasia Barrino - Summertime - Top 8
Fantasia Barrino - Summertime
The rawness of this was just unmatched. She was on the floor and singing right from her gut. Fantasia just let the song breath within her and it was BEAUTIFUL! Her little nuances came from a place within. You can't teach that! Just the part on "standing" towards the end was enough for me alone. Masterpiece!
WHO GOT ROBBED.......
LISA LEUSCHNER
One thing that I will never forget about Season 3 is the amount of DISGUST that I had when she did not make it into the final 12. She was in one of the worst overall groups in the Semi Finals and was clearly the best vocalist. I am still so mad over it! Lisa was a star waiting for the right moment. She had such a clear and present tone. High notes were never a problem. I wanted her to be in the Top 4 at least. SMH so angry!!!
SUZY VULACA
Suzy Vulaca - Unbreak My Heart
Just such a nice cemented voice! She seemed poised beyond her years and would have loved to hear where she could have gone on the show. She was better than most of the girls on that season.
TIARA PURIFOY
Tiara Purifoy - I Wanna Dance With Somebody
She had so much potential. Loved her style and her in your face vocals. She wasn't afraid to take risk and give it her all. If it were up to me, the top 12 would have had only one guy, George Huff. Those ladies SANG this season.
LEAH LABELLE
Leah Labelle - Let's Stay Together
I think that her going out 12th was a travesty. I needed her to make it a couple of weeks further. I think that she could grown a whole lot.
JENNIFER HUDSON
We all know about the 3 divas fiasco! She was just coming into her own. Hitting her stride on the show. Her leaving was CRAZINESS! I just didn't get it at all. I think that I remember tossing my phone because of how horrified I was. I just didn't make any sense to me.
LATOYA LONDON
Class. Elegance. I thought after the J Hud situation that her and Fantasia would clearly be in the finals. But she went out 4th....4th.....4th....ugh. So polished and came out of nowhere.
THE TOP 12 PERFORMANCES
12. Lisa Leuschner - Sweet Thing - Semi Finals
Lisa Leuschner - Sweet Thing
This performance was awesome. She kicked that song into high gear. I still don't understand how she slipped through the cracks. Her singing was superb for a song like this. Not an easy song to sing and especially in a condensed version. She nailed it!
11. Fantasia Barrino - Something To Talk About - Semi Finals
Fantasia Barrino - Something To Talk About
This was our first live performance from her and she showed out! Taking a country/blues classic and giving it her gospel inflection. Everything was great about this from start to finish.
10. Fantasia Barrino - What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life - Top 5
Fantasia Barrino - What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
Beautiful. She milked each emotion with this vocal. She wasn't just the hard hitting singer. She could show you her raw feelings and musicality. Subdued and relaxed.
9. Latoya London - Somewhere - Top 8
Latoya London - Somewhere
Full of finesse and class. The vocal control and restraint were very present here. So fantastic. She created a story out of this performance.
8. Jennifer Hudson - The Circle Of Life - Top 9
Jennifer Hudson - The Circle Of Life
She found herself here! No longer manic. No longer just singing notes because she could. There was passion and meaning behind the performance. Internal singing took over and it was fantastic thing!
7. Jennifer Hudson - I Have Nothing - Top 8
Jennifer Hudson - I Have Nothing
I know. Whitney and Mariah should not be touched. All I can say is that if you are gonna do their songs, you better bring it!!! She definitely brought it. She didn't stray far from the path and I think that was best because she can flat out SANG!
6. Diana DeGarmo - Don't Cry Out Loud - Top 3
Diana DeGarmo - Don't Cry Out Loud
With this song, she let America know that she can really sing. Most of her performances were always enough for her to get by with. This song cemented her place in the finals. That breath control. Those notes were held and shaped beautifully!
5. Latoya London - All By Myself - Semi Finals
Latoya London - All By Myself
This is when she put each and every contestant on notice! No one had seen any of her on the previous episodes. She came out the gate with guns blazing. Another classy performance!
4. Latoya London - Don't Rain On My Parade - Top 5
Latoya London - Don't Rain On My Parade
Stellar. In another class for the entire season. Seriously, she was fantastic from start to finish with this song!
3. Jennifer Hudson - Weekend In New England - Top 7
Jennifer Hudson - Weekend In New England
She went on and SANG the mess out of this. Told her story and felt each and every word. I can't believe that she got voted off after this performance. I still get goosebumps when she makes that transition. It was so concrete and confident.
2. Fantasia Barrino - Fool In Love - Top 3
Fantasia Barrino - Fool In Love
Look here! This lady SANG her face and SANG from her left heel! One of my favorite Tina songs and she did it more than justice! Her performance of this made it seem like she was putting on her own concert.
1. Fantasia Barrino - Summertime - Top 8
Fantasia Barrino - Summertime
The rawness of this was just unmatched. She was on the floor and singing right from her gut. Fantasia just let the song breath within her and it was BEAUTIFUL! Her little nuances came from a place within. You can't teach that! Just the part on "standing" towards the end was enough for me alone. Masterpiece!
HALL OF FAME
It should come as no surprise who will get inducted from this season. A Hall of Fame inductee is someone that I could listen to all of the time. Vocally great. Has a lot of charisma. And can just flat out SANG!!!
Inducted previously from Seasons 1 & 2
KELLY CLARKSON
TAMYRA GRAY
TRENYCE
RUBEN STUDDARD
CLAY AIKEN
KIMBERLEY LOCKE
1st Inductee......
FANTASIA BARRINO
2nd Inductee.........
JENNIFER HUDSON
and 3rd Inductee.....
LATOYA LONDON
Check back soon for more entries and more season overhauls!!!
Until next time.....
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