earsucker

Lakisha Jones performed in Lansing, Michigan on June 11, 2007 much to the delight of her fans. She belted out “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” and “God Bless The Child” in front of her audience that day.

She made the “Idol” semifinals in February, got an on-camera kiss from sometimes-churlish “Idol” judge Simon Cowell and remained in the running until May 9, when she was outpolled by Melinda Doolittle, Blake Lewis and eventual winner Jordin Sparks.

Jones will participate in the “American Idol” tour this summer. She was to leave Tuesday for rehearsals in Los Angeles.

Michigan is proud of Jones, Granholm told the crowd. The governor also said she had voted for Jones.

Go Kiki, looking forward to that record. You can do it!

I read this over at CNN and was kinda baffled:

She was an “amazing talent,” a young singer with a wonderful voice who wrote beautiful songs. But she was no beauty, plus flat-chested and overweight to boot.

Remembering the aspiring star, music executive Jody Gerson still feels terrible about thinking: “She’s never going to get signed, even though she’s fabulous.”

They compared the two great wonders that American Idol ousted, Lakisha Jones and Melinda Doolittle, to the two remaining contestants, Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks. Saying that Lakisha and Melinda were the two real talents of the show was indeed an understatement. Their talent alone should’ve been enough to end them up in the final two, but unfortunately, it appears that their look is not what the music industry is looking for.

I pride myself on oncovering some real talent, here and there, for my own amusement. I don’t care if you’re fat, skinny, or have a third arm. If you have talent, then you’re going to be on my Ipod.

That’s why when Melinda or Lakisha come out with a CD, I’ll be jumping on that. So what if one was compared to Shrek and the other one is picked on for having a gap in her teeth. So what if they don’t fit the industry standard of what’s hot. They fit into my idea of what a real singing competition should be, and that’s talent. I closed my eyes and listened to the entertainers on that stage while they sang their hearts out, and that’s what America should do, too.

Suck it, Avril.

Via The Shreveport Times, we’ve learned that Lakisha Jones will continue to be a good mom and a talented singer:

Besides, finishing fourth isn’t that bad. “All I can say is, ‘Look at Chris Daughtry,’” Jones said, referring to the singer who finished No. 4 last year, then jumped to No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

For now, she’ll stay in Los Angeles and go on the “American Idol” tour. That’s in the summertime, so her mother (a teacher) and daughter will come along.

From there she hopes to do a record of an undetermined genre. “I want it to be sassy and soulful.”

I’m sure whatever Lakisha Jones does will be classy and soulful. She has an amazing singing talent and she proved it when she sang the Dreamgirls song, “And I’m telling you”. If she can continue to channel Jennifer Hudson, she’d be an even bigger star than she is now. I was rooting for Lakisha since she got on Idol and wowed us every week. That kind of singing is so good that it just gives you chills. You can’t buy that kind of soul.

Go KiKi, we’re still rooting for you. Sell records like Chris Daughtry, we know you have it in you.

The top three on American Idol, Blake Lewis, Melinda Doolittle, and Jordin Sparks all have one thing in common: they are already winners. This season of American Idol has already made household names out of Sanjaya Malakar and Lakisha Jones, imagine if they would’ve made it further. I don’t think Sanjaya could’ve made it further, that was a time when America said enough is enough. Lakisha Jones will undoubtedly have a record deal soon, that girl can sing.

I’m not sure how the next show will play out, but I do have a guess: Jordin Sparks isn’t going anywhere. I’m thinking that unless Blake Lewis pulls something out of the sky and sings his heart out (minus the beatboxing), he’s a goner.

It’s the year for a woman to win American Idol, plain and simple. My money is on Jordin, but Melinda may surprise all of us.

Only time will tell.

Via the Baltimore Sun:

For American Idol’s Lakisha Jones, the past four months – a grueling and sublime ride as a standout on the country’s most popular television show – comes down to a set of ordinary house keys.

Fresh from her elimination the night before, the 27-year-old singer was asked by reporters yesterday whether she was planning any splurges in light of her newfound fame.

“I’m going to buy a new home for me and my daughter,” the former Millersville bank teller said during a conference call. “I don’t ever want to rent again. The house doesn’t even have to have anything in it. I just can’t wait to get the keys and open the front door and let my baby run through it.”

During the 20-minute interview, Jones struggled to speak through the hoarseness that afflicted her performances Tuesday.

“I knew on Tuesday that I was hoarse, and I tried to sing past it,” Jones said. “When you’re on American Idol, you can’t just say, ‘I can’t sing this week.’”

Throughout the interview, Jones sounded variously philosophical, tired, overwhelmed and satisfied. Idol, of course, is the most-watched show on television, a show on which each contestant attracts a passionately devoted cadre of viewers.

“I need to work on my breath control,” she said. “As far as phrasing goes, I think I have that down. I also probably need to work on song selection.”

Not that the Idol experience didn’t have its lighter moments. On a previous broadcast, Jones and acerbic judge Simon Cowell famously smooched for the cameras.

Asked to rate Cowell as a kisser, Jones said, “He is a good kisser, and I would do it again. His lips were really soft and thin.”

She added that Cowell offered words of encouragement after she learned that she had finished fourth.

“Simon told me that he was really proud of me and that I am going to have a successful career,” she said.

I rooted for her, too. I, too, think Ms. Jones will have a successful career ahead of her. She has a lot of talent! Go KiKi!

Oh yes, there’s life after American Idol, just ask Sanjaya Malakar. Newly ousted singer, Lakisha Jones, plans to go on Jay Leno tonight to discuss Idol. She also has other talk shows to keep her busy, per the Detroit News:

She will appear on “Live With Regis and Kelly” and “Ellen” on Monday, NBC’s “Today” show on Tuesday and VH1′s “Best Week Ever” May 18

Via RealityTVWorld, Lakisha had this to say:
Jones commented she “wouldn’t have sung” either “Run to Me” or “Staying Alive” if she could do it all over again.

“It actually was just the style of music was out of my comfort zone. It was a very difficult genre of music for me to sing. So I had some times with it, especially the Bee Gees songs. And I knew last night that those weren’t the best songs, but I did the best with what I was given. I went out there every week and gave it my all,” she said. “Everybody looks forward to me doing the big song, and when you’re given those types of genres of music, it doesn’t necesarily have those types of songs in country or rock. I’m a ballad singer… I love ballads. I like to be me.”

She also said that she knew on Tuesday that she was going to be voted off.

Here is your Top Three, America!

We are now left with beatboxing Blake Lewis, quiet and shy Melinda Doolittle, or surprise may-be winner, Jordin Sparks.
Now that Lakisha Jones has been ousted from the show, the top three are left to strut their stuff and prove to us and the judges, that they have what it takes to become the next American Idol.

So, we will see what next week holds for us….and did I mention that Barry Gibb sucked tonight?!?? Oh yeah, I did.

On tonight’s show, the bottom two came down to Blake Lewis and Lakisha Jones. I guess Simon called it when he said that Lakisha was going to get voted off. This bites, she was better than Blake, but they must keep their teenage girl audience or try to even up the ratio of girls to guys.

Oh yeah, and Barry Gibb sucked tonight, too.

In case you missed it, like I did, here is a recap of the action happening on last night’s Bee Gees version of American Idol:

Here’s Blake Lewis doing “This is where I came in”. He put his little beatbx spin on it, but I’ve never heard of this song before.

And here’s “You should be dancing” done by Blake Lewis:

Next is Melinda Doolittle doing her rendition of “How can you mend a broken heart”. Great stuff, as usual. Melinda is very talented and I don’t foresee her going home tonight.

Also, here’s Ms. Doolittle doing, “Love you inside & out”:

Great job, Melinda!

Up for your picking apart next, is Lakisha Jones, firstly doing, “Run to me”:

And, “Stayin’ Alive:

I’m boppin’ to that one, even though she didn’t do such a hot job.

And lastly, Jordin Sparks was on the scene, with “Woman in love”:

Pitchy and drab, just my two cents.

And again, Ms. Sparks, with “To love somebody”:

American Idol’s top four, Blake Lewis, Lakisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle, and Jordin Sparks are indeed a force to be reckoned with this season. Following last week’s ousting of Chris Richardson and Phil Stacey, America is left with a choice to make, who doesn’t make it to the top three. Certain websites have me thinking that Jordin Sparks will go all the way, primarily because she hasn’t really had too many messups and the judges drool over almost everyone of her performances.

Blake Lewis keeps it in step with his beatbox performances and shows the public just what it wants to see: a young generation bringing the groove back to some old classics, in his own way.

Melinda Doolittle is still a bit shy about the responses to her performances and keeps showing us that she is a performer. If American Idol doesn’t crown her the winner, I’m sure this diva will still get a record deal.

And last, but definitely not least, is Lakisha Jones. She is, unfortunately, Votefortheworst’s new favorite. I’d encourage everyone to call in and vote for Lakisha, not because she’s the worst, but this girl has talent.

It’s a hard choice to make, but it seems that America is following Simon’s advice and voting out whoever he says is horrible. Look what happened to Sanjaya, Simon finally cut out the crap and thought, this kid has to go, it’s time to get serious already.

We shall see what happens tomorrow night.

Woot. Go KiKi. This was the perfect track for her. And finally, we have a mentor that has an opinion. Bon Jovi rocks.

Enjoy!