Music Features
American Idol's Top 12 Take on The Rolling Stones Catalog
American Idol's Top 12 took on songs from one of the biggest acts in rock history Tuesday night -- The Rolling Stones. The two-hour show also marked the first time season nine contestants got to perform on Idol's big stage. Randy Jackson, Ellen Degeneres, Kara DioGuardi and Simon Cowell were sitting at the judges' table offering their thoughts. The contestants also offered a look back at their life before Idol before they performed. Here's what happened:Michael Lynche has actually been performing music since childhood, but he thought about pursuing football for a while. Once his mother passed away, Michael got back to music in his healing process, and that led him to Idol. He performed the disco-flavored Stones hit "Miss You," turning it into a funky R&B number. Randy told Michael he slayed it, and Ellen called the performance "amazing." Kara applauded his swagger and attitude, but Simon thought Michael's dancing was a bit corny and desperate. Host Ryan Seacrest actually came offstage and had a bit of a run-in with Simon after his critique of Michael.
Didi Benami's mother gets really nervous watching her daughter perform and can't stand seeing her daughter get judged, so she wasn't in the audience last night. Didi was the artistic middle child in her family and moved to Los Angeles from Knoxville, Tennessee four years ago. She took on the Stones tune "Play with Fire," delivering it for the most part with a quiet intensity. Randy thought it was one of her best performances in a while, and Ellen thought she'd gotten back on track this week. Kara liked that Didi took the song to an eerie, dark place, while Simon thought the song choice was "cool" and the performance was solid, but not brilliant.
Casey James grew up in the tiny town of Cool, Texas, where his mom raised him alone after divorcing his dad. Casey actually had an adverse reaction to a vaccine when he was three months old that caused him to have many seizures and possible brain damage. Casey turned out to be fine, though, and always shared music with his mom, brother and extended family. That musical background prepared him for American Idol, and Casey seemed right at home playing lead guitar and singing the Rolling Stones' "It's All Over Now." Randy loved Casey's bluesy performance, and Ellen thought it was fantastic. Kara thought Casey had come into his own as a rock star, but Simon thought he missed out on the opportunity to push himself and do something incredible.
Lacey Jones was born and raised in Amarillo, Texas with a very supportive family. Since her parents are pastors of a church, Lacey has had a ton of experience singing there. Her dad also says she's come a long way in overcoming her shyness. Lacey sang "Ruby Tuesday" with a string section backing her up, and things finally picked up towards the end of the performance. Randy was pleasantly surprised that she held it together, though Ellen thought it was a tiny bit sleepy. Kara thought there were some pitch problems, and Simon encouraged her to stop over-thinking her performances and just let go.
Andrew Garcia's dad was a musician, but they struggled to buy Andrew his own guitar. Still, Andrew bonded with his dad over music. Performing "Gimme Shelter" without a guitar around his neck, Andrew showed a different side of himself this week and worked the stage more than ever before. Randy thought there were a ton of pitch issues with the performance, but Ellen thought it was Andrew's best performance yet. Kara thought his delivery lacked intensity and connection, and Simon had a feeling Andrew was probably better in rehearsal and hoped he survived another week.
Katie Stevens grew up in Middlebury, Connecticut, and she got her start performing Shania Twain's "From This Moment On" at her uncle's wedding at age eight. Katie hopes her family is proud of her with her Idol performances, and her dad actually introduced her to the music of the Rolling Stones. She took on "Wild Horses," which Randy thought she sang well, saying she gave a strong performance. Ellen loved Katie's song choice, and Kara liked the liberties she took with the song's melody. Simon didn't like the second half of the song, but he thought Katie gave it a hundred percent.
Tim Urban wanted to be a professional athlete until he realized he'd never be tall enough to compete in the big leagues. He started playing guitar in high school, and his parents said it was clear he was gifted in the music department. Tim put a reggae spin on "Under My Thumb" from 1966. Randy didn't like Tim's version and thought it was bizarre, and Ellen felt like she was at some beachside resort. Kara applauded Tim for doing something different with the song, but Simon thought it didn't work at all.
Siobhan Magnus hails from Cape Cod, Massachusetts with a huge family, and she bonds with her dad through playing piano in the family room. In keeping with her intense image, Siobhan chose to sing "Paint it Black." She hit her big, screeching power note towards the end of the song, and Randy thought it was hot that she brought the drama to the show. Ellen thought Siobhan rose above the crowd like SNOOKI's poof from Jersey Shore, while Kara said she reminded her of Adam Lambert from last season. Simon also thought it was the standout performance of the night.
Lee Dewyze comes from just outside Chicago and was embarrassed to sing for people as a kid. Lee's overcome that fear now, and his version of "Beast of Burden" sounded more like a Motown classic than a grimy Rolling Stones hit. Randy thought it sounded "dope," but Ellen wanted a little more energy from Lee's performance. Kara thought he was growing quickly as an artist, while Simon urged Lee to step it up personality-wise and really have a big moment next week if he's still around.
Paige Miles grew up in Naples, Florida and lost her dad when she was four. Paige's mom raised her and encouraged her to sing in church. Paige was a long way from church, though, with her performance of "Honky Tonk Women." Her vocals were incredibly strong in spite of struggling with laryngitis all week. In fact, the live performance was Paige's first time performing the song all week since she'd been too sick to rehearse. Randy wished she'd rocked out a little harder, though Ellen and Kara both applauded Paige for belting it out despite her vocal issues. Simon thought she still hadn't connected with fans, but he also loved her vocals.
Aaron Kelly comes from the very small town of Sonestown, Pennsylvania, and he's the only singer in his family. He first sang in a school talent show at age nine. Now just seven years later, Aaron performed the Rolling Stones ballad "Angie" on last night's American Idol. Randy thought Aaron was born to sing and said the performance was "hot." Ellen loved the song choice and told Aaron he'd given a standout performance. Kara thought Aaron really connected with the song, and Simon thought he used his voice well to deliver a believable performance.
Crystal Bowersox grew up in rural Ohio, and had a very supportive dad who drove her from gig to gig. At age 10, she started writing about her childhood and teenage experiences. With her acoustic guitar in hand, Crystal put her soulful spin on the Stones classic "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Randy didn't think it was her best performance, but he's still a Crystal fan. Ellen liked that Crystal showed a little more personality with her performance, and Kara thought she looked comfortable onstage. Simon said Siobhan did a better job this week than Crystal and warned her not to get too comfortable being this season's frontrunner.
One contestant is going home on Wednesday's American Idol results show, airing at 9:00 ET on Fox. American Idol champ David Cook, plus Orianthi and Ke$ha, are also set to perform.
