Clay Aiken - In The News

May 24 (Bloomberg) — Jordin Sparks became the youngest
“American Idol'' at 17 years old, defeating Blake Lewis to win
the sixth season of the nationwide singing contest. Sparks, a high school student from Glendale, Arizona, beat
Lewis after viewers cast 74 million votes by telephone and text
message. “American Idol'' enabled the Fox network to win this
year's prime-time television ratings race in the 18-to-49 age
group that sets national advertising rates. Among all viewers,
Fox, a division of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., was second
behind CBS. Fox's decision to air the show once a year has
helped make it the most-watched show for four seasons.

Full article here: Source

” finale is only marginally about crowning a winner. On Wednesday, the sixth winner of the Fox talent show was crowned in Hollywood, and a radiant Jordin Sparks cried and so forth. But the finale is really all about making America endure two hours of sometimes amusing, often ridiculous, always ultra-commercial filler before allowing the long, long “Idol” season to end.
The finales can usually be divided into four categories:

Full article here: Source

Probably the least truthful moment of Tuesday’s “American Idol” finale came midway through, after Jordin Sparks emoted the heck out of Martina McBride’s “A Broken Wing,” then held out a gigantic note at the end. “This is a battle tonight!” Ryan Seacrest exclaimed, with Jordin nearby, towering over him. Maybe by that point the Season Six still looked like a toss-up to Seacrest, but Blake Lewis’s efforts had begun to remind me of a thoroughbred entering a NASCAR showdown: Graceful and skilled as that horse might be at the event he’s trained for, he just wasn’t meant for a race dominated by loud, flashy power. That isn’t at all a bad thing; Blake may not be for everyone, but I like him, and I suspect coming in second on “AI” - a very likely possibility - could help him a whole lot more than winning ever could. But more on that in a bit.

Full article here: Source

Down to two , finally!Blake Lewis, top,vs. Jordin Sparks. The entertainer vs. the singer. That's how the
American Idol
judges framed last night's showdown between Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks.

Full article here: Source

From drawing millions of viewers to generating album sales, talent show is still going strong
By JONATHAN TAKIFF
takiffj@phillynews.com
215-854-5960 “American Idol” finalists Jordin Sparks (left) and Blake Lewis. RELATED STORIES Jordin's big night?
AMERICAN IDOL. 8 tonight and 8 p.m. tomorrow, Channel 29.
AFTER FIVE MONTHS of watching, discussing and mentally holding their hands, we’re finally going to know the answer. Will dewy young darlin’ Jordin Sparks or brash, brave, beat-boxin’ Blake Lewis be the next "American Idol," with all the regal duties and rewards of the job?

Full article here: Source

“I had been watching ‘American Idol’ more than I used to. However, that will change with the voting off of Melinda Doolittle,” Beyes said in a recent e-mail, referring to the singer voted off May 16.
“My family and friends are watching the show less,” Beyes added.
Should Beyes cause Fox executives any sleepless nights? After all, “Idol” is a show that has provoked strong reactions from viewers since it debuted in 2002.

Full article here: Source

Okay, what just happened last night? How in the hell could the results turn out as they did? Did I wander into Bizzarro Land?
Why is Melinda in third place?
Third place
Melinda, the one contestant who has been consistently excellent during the whole season was… booted out?
Man, I can only imagine what Simon must be thinking. He was rooting for Melinda the whole time. He must be furious.
I have nothing against Blake. I think he's very cool and a great performer. He's innovative and is one of the most unique contestants ever on the show. But he isn't half the singer that Melinda is. No way, no how. His vocals are weak. I knew that Blake had a lot of fans, but I never thought that they could take down Melinda.

Full article here: Source

As a certified Mariah-Celine-Whitney zone, “American Idol” tends to evoke thoughts of 1990s rock only when the likes of Blake Lewis or Chris Daughtry take the stage. Yet watching this season’s top three contestants during Tuesday’s performance show, I couldn’t help but consider a mid-’90s alt-rock song that resides somewhere on my iTunes playlist - a seriously jaunty, poppy tune with a chorus that consists solely of one phrase, repeated: “Who sucked out the feeling?”

Full article here: Source

Many people I have interviewed believed Melinda Doolittle was going to be crowned this year’s winner on ‘American Idol.’  The truth as we found out tonight is that she didn’t even make the Final two, but why not?
 
How many of you reading this column can argue that she didn’t have at least one of the top 2 best voices left (I believe had the best one).
 
How many can argue what Simon Cowel echoed Tuesday night claiming she was the most “consistent of the three contestants left?

Full article here: Source

will attempt to make yet another joke about trying to fill in the hour with meaningless jibber-jabber.
Tonight’s show could go one of
three ways
: Melinda could get kicked off, Blake could get kicked off, or Jordin could get kicked off.
OK, I’ll show some backbone and actually form some opinions.
Safety Dance:
I honestly think the only person who is absolutely safe tonight is
Blake

Full article here: Source