American Idol just isn’t the same without <>Alex Lambert. I can’t say enough about this young man and his talent. His unique voice, humble character and sweet smile make for a perfect musical package, guaranteed to make any teenage girl swoon. What an unfortunate loss for the viewers of American Idol. I surely miss looking forward to watching him each week.

After reading other blogs about Alex, I have learned that the song responsible for his downfall, “Trouble“, was not his first choice. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Alex said, “I had another song in mind: “Let Me Love You” by Mario. It’s an R&B song, but I was going to change it up and make it my own. But it was a song a lot of people didn’t know so I went with my second choice because one of the producers was telling me, “If you do this song, you’ll get more votes.” But obviously I didn’t get enough. I wish I would’ve done the other song. I wish I didn’t listen to the producer. But I still feel like, vocally, the song I sang, I didn’t think it was bad enough for me to go home, but it is what it is.”

I think the song “Trouble” was a perfect fit for Alex’s voice, and the adult demographic would say it was a brilliant interpretation. However, what voting 14 year old would know who Ray LaMontagne is or be familiar with any of his music? “Let Me Love You” would have been a hit with viewers, because it is current and the younger crowd is very familiar with Mario and his contemporary genre.

Alex was interviewed on the Ellen DeGeneres show and sang his version of “Let Me Love You.” The response from the younger generation was tremendous. I have to believe that Alex Lambert would still be a contender for the top three if he would have stuck with his initial choice of songs.

Lambert fans have definitely taken action on behalf of their beloved Alex. A “Bring Alex Lambert Back” petition has been circulating on the internet which has almost 18,000 signatures demanding that Alex be reinstated on the show. With the season’s lowered ratings and the lack of talent in over half of the remaining contestants, could the Idol producers possibly realize the error of their ways? I can’t help but wonder, will American Idol producers listen to the almost 18,000 fans and bring Lambert back? Let’s hope so!

Watch Alex Lambert’s interview with Ellen DeGeneres and his rendition of “Let Me Love You” by Mario.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIY3125nLWc

Alex wrote a song for Ellen DeGeneres, listen to it here.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUquMg2-EAQ

America!! What happened? I am brokenhearted! My favorite singer, Alex Lambert was voted off American Idol tonight. Alex had great potential to rise to the top of the competition. His voice is unique and sets him apart from the typical sound that we hear from many of this year’s competitors. His innocence and humility makes him so adorable and I thought that he touched the hearts of those watching the show. I have researched many other blogs tonight and the consensus is, “America, you got it wrong!”

Alex Lambert  delivered a strong goodbye performance, but the lovable singer was overcome with emotion after his elimination.  ”I wish I had not been so nervous on stage,” he said. “There’s a lot of things that America hasn’t seen me do yet…I wish I could have just broken out of my shell.”

Hopefully Alex’s talent will be recognized by anagent out there and he will be picked up. It would be a shame not to tap into what this boy has to offer.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qynr0zJiICY

There were several guys that were quite good Wednesday night which is more than I can say for the women. However, Crystal Bowersox is the one to beat for the women as far as I am concerned.

I think I have the top four chosen from the men. For some strange reason, I just can’t shake the feeling that Alex Lambert is going to be the top dog, and the great thing about it is he doesn’t even know it. He is very sincere and humble and I think that is what lends to his being so likable. He has an awesomely unique voice which continues to improve each week. I believe he captured the audience tonight as he nailed the Ray LaMontagne ballad “Trouble.”

Alex Lambert singing John Legend’s “Everybody Knows.”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9F7Hk_Yt_I

“The only thing standing in the way of you winning is you right now,” Kara said, praising his unique voice but counseling him to let it rip. Ellen busted out the ripening banana metaphor one more time and said Lambert is getting better and better every week, even as he maintains his innocence. Simon said Lambert needs to loosen up, perhaps by imagining Jackson in a bikini.

My second favorite was Tim Urban, another innocent singer with a sweet spirit. He courageously went for it by singing Leonard Cohen’s beautiful but hard-to-sing “Hallelujah.” Tim strummed an acoustic guitar and the whole thing worked for him. It was his strongest effort to date.

Ellen, feeling bad about criticizing Urban every week, ran up onstage and hugged him as a kind of apology, and Simon patted himself on the back for giving Urban back his confidence, calling it Tim’s best performance to date. “You walked in some pretty big shoes, and I think you did a pretty good job, Tim,” Randy said, as Kara predicted he might have sung his way back from the brink with his honest, emotional take on the song.

My last two to round out my top four are Casey James and Michael Lynche. Casey sang “I Don’t Want to Be” and didn’t exactly show off his ability to rock. But, I am pretty sure he will make the top twelve along with Lynche who sang “This Woman’s Work.”

Stay tuned tomorrow night as four more singers go home. Leave me a comment and give me your thoughts on who will stay and who will go.

I have been watching American Idol for about five seasons now. It has become a way to pull my family together for an hour or so each Tuesday and Wednesday night. It’s really pretty funny. We all will be doing our own thing such as homework, blogging, playing guitar, or Facebook-ing. Someone will yell, “American Idol” and we will all come running from different places of the house and squish together on the couch to watch and give our opinions on each performer.

I find this year to be quite boring. I hope the guys are better on Wednesday. There really hasn’t been anyone that has blown me away. That is until last night. Crystal Bowersox was awesome! Her rendition of Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason to Stay Here” was brilliant. Crystal infused the song with a bluesy, sometimes raspy voice which made me believe she is the one to watch this year. She was strong and confident and you could tell she was enjoying every minute of being on that stage. Her talent on the electric guitar and her unique voice, Crystal gave us the entire package, which I believe puts her right out front to win the competition. She absolutely has my vote so far.

The judges were in agreement also. Randy told Crystal that this is what the show is about for him – he loved it! Ellen called it the best performance of the night! Kara said it was easy for her because she stepped up there and knew what she was doing – she could imagine the record she’ll make! Simon was one billion percent certain she’ll make the Top Twelve, and said the competition was hers to lose!

I guess the next on my list would have to be Siobhan Magnus. She sang “House of the Rising Sun” in honor of her dad. She did a great job and will definitely give Crystal a run for her money. Randy liked the fact that every week she surprises them, taking risks and chances. Ellen said that Siobhan is why she loves music – it’s supposed to move you – she was spectacular! Kara loves her choices, and she really liked it tonight. Simon disagreed with the other judges – he was under-impressed compared to last week.

Tonight the guys sing and I do have one favorite, which I will save for tomorrow’s post. To me, he is the one who is the most humble and least confident. But let me tell you, that boy can sing!

Several past Idol winners have gone on to make several CD’s. Here are just a few you might enjoy.