Melinda Doolittle not ‘American’ enough for ‘Idol’
Categories: Entertainment
Written By: Shawn Williams
There is no one who has disputed that Melinda Doolittle had been the best singer in American Idol's sixth season. She has been nearly flawless throughout, with the exception of a few bumps during Bee Gee's week - a show in which everyone struggled.
But on Tuesday night, Melinda was at it again, clearly distancing herself from Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks. I'm sure even Blake and Jordin were hoping throughout the day Wednesday that America would see fit to allow one of them to face off against Doolittle in the show's finale next week.
But it wasn't meant to be for Melinda. She seemed to have made peace with the fact that tonight might be her last, yet the other contestants, the judges, and the audience were all shocked at the results. A smattering of boos could be heard following Ryan Seacrest's announcement that America had voted Melinda Doolittle off of the show.
I had said from the beginning that Jordin Sparks had a better chance of winning than Doolittle because she had more of the American Idol look. That is to take nothing away from her vocal talents, because she has been the 2nd best singer all along.
Think of American Idol as a popularity contest with a soundtrack. Just like the NBA All-Star game or the race for student body president, the winner isn't always the best, but generally has something that the voters are looking for.
It's hard for African-Americans to count on American voters for anything. Barak Obama is going to put that theory to the test during his bid to be President .
The highest ranking African-Americans in recent U.S. politics - Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, and Clarence Thomas - were all appointed to their positions (by Republican Presidents no less). Barak Obama was elected by the citizens of Illinois to the U.S. Senate, but in his book Audacity of Hope he even says "… there was no point in denying my almost spooky good fortune,"as he described some of the pieces that fell into place during his campaign.
Melinda Doolittle will sell lots of records in her career, as should Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks. But before all that, there's the matter of choosing the next American Idol. Our family tends to gather around the T.V. for Idol (be it live or on DVR) each week. I think I'll probably sit out next week's finale, but maybe you guys will be so kind as to tell me who wins.
May 16th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
I voted for Melinda and Blake. I started Tuesday night thinking that I would vote for Jordin but I was not overly impressed by her performance. On the other hand Blake really surprised me. He got into “a good grooveâ€, refused to reprise earlier songs and gave his all to the contest. I like Jordin but sometimes her efforts are a little subpar, discounting gems such as “I who have nothing†and “A broken wing†which, frankly, Jordin sings like no other. Melinda, I’m sure will make a great CD and I’ll buy it.
(Thus concludes the voting of the NJ jury on the east coast)
May 16th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
Pa-lease! Did you realize the winners of season 2 and 3 were black? Please put your racist card away, it’s weak.
May 16th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
My feelings are hurt that Melinda is out. I thought she was the best, but I agree she wasn’t American Idolish enough. Although all were talented, it’s all about who’s popular with the voters. I hope someone picks her up on their label because she has the voice to sell records. Only time will tell.
May 19th, 2007 at 6:50 am
It will probably be better for her in the long run that she lost the competition. Due to the contractual constraints of the American Idol winner, it often limits the amount of musical projects that person can pursue. She is by far the best singer on the show and she will get many opportunities better than the limits of Idol. Jennifer Hudson is often credited as saying had she won the show, she would have never been able to participate in Dream Girls. We will see a lot of Doolittle in the near future!
May 30th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Considering the fact that AI seasons 2 and 3 and 6 are African-Americans, your theory is kinda shaky. That’s half the AI winners for a minority that makes up some 10% of the population.
And don’t tie Obama to this. He’ll get the boot because of his extensive Muslim past, despite the Christianity he professes. That’s the part that is “spooky.”
March 9th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Melinda Doolittle doing the Dreyer’s Ice cream tour right now. She did releases her first song on I Tunes My Funny Valentine. Wow she is amazing. She will released her first album June of 2008. Also she did have a blog radio talk show with her fans. If you want to listen at it. http://www.melindafan.net you can also join us to support her. She is wonderful.
March 30th, 2008 at 9:43 am
http://www.mdstreetteam.com new website for the support of her new career.
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Melinda Doolittle did postponed her new album July or August 2008. New website to support her in her new career http://www.mdstreetteam.com You are welcome to join us. You can accumulate points and exchange it for prizes.
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Good news for you Melinda Doolittle fans! She’s set to release her debut album titled, Coming Back to You on Hi-Fi Recordings in January 09. Produced by Grammy-nominated producer Mike Mangini (Joss Stone, Run DMC, The Jonas Brothers), Coming Back to You was recorded with a team of live musicians in Nashville and New York City.
The first single, “It’s Your Love” will be released to radio in October.
“Keep yourself updated with Melinda’s career at melindasbackups.
melindasbackups.com is a web site owned by Melinda Doolittle. Melinda’s Backups™ is a non-profit supportive association inspired by Melinda and authorized by her to operate this web site on behalf of her fans.