American Idol 2, March 11: Make Me Motown

Say hello to Rickey Smith. Raised in Wichita, KS, going to school in King, TX. Oldest of three children, loves playing any kind of sports, works for music teacher, school paid for his trip to AI audition, mother says he sang all the time, about anything, is a "breath of fresh air," sister says he is a dork, Dean says he is the guy you want your daughter to marry.

Rickey Smith, "1-2-3"

Randy - "very good... felt personality... sang well... very impressed"

Paula - "perfect song for your voice... look good... felt it"

Simon - "definitely nicest guy in competition, motored halfway through (I think that means he was ahead of the track)"

Lamont- "very good, your voice was right on"

Sting7- Rickey astonished me, I never expected him to sound as good as he did, and he was great. Yes, a couple of times he rushed ahead of the track, but he recovered brilliantly, I have no complaints. Whew, I was worried about him.

Here's Julia DeMato. Raised in Connecticut, quiet and shy child. Sang when she was alone. Works in a hair salon, co-workers are convinced she's going to be a star, Mom says she is definitely All-American (wrong show, Mom).

Julia DeMato, "Where Did Our Love Go?"

Randy - "good, one of the favorite times I've heard you... good for me... didn't try to over-do it"

Paula - "best I've ever seen you look... look amazing... need to work on giving more onstage"

Simon - "look gorgeous... don't take any bows (she was wearing very low cut blouse and all that jiggle said no bra. Julia took offense to this and said, "Your opinion doesn't matter--" Simon cut her off by saying he is helping her... and he helped her keep from making an ass of herself. Or tried.) you missed the Supremes, but okay" (Julia then asked the crowd if they liked it - the Guarini. Justin came this close to getting the boot for pulling a similar stunt last season, and he apologized for it the next night, understanding how arrogant and pandering it looked.)

Lamont - "song was meant for you... just enough for your voice"

Sting7- I thought she performed well enough, and she looked sizzling, already got a couple of emails saying so. But, I got the impression that she didn't like the song, or was intimidated by it, which might explain why she was so highly strung with Simon. Her attitude took away from the performance, and her unnecessary jab at Simon took even more away.

Say hello to Clay Aiken. North Carolinian Clay was an energetic child, says Mom. Also "pretentious" (is that what you wanted to say?) and outgoing. (I think she meant precocious) Dad died last summer, hard on family, Clay is dedicated to YMCA, worked there for eight years, led to being a Special Ed major at UNC. Be it singing or teaching, he wants to make a difference.

Clay Aiken, "Can't Help Myself"

Randy - "you get standing O... brilliant baby brilliant!"

Paula - "you have this confidence... it's amazing... thank you!"

Simon - "thought you sounded good, but if I must be honest, it was Motown the Musical"

Lamont - "you look like you already arrived... like you been doing it for years... that's the look of a star"

Sting7 - I've run out of adjectives for Clay. Truly. He is clearly distancing himself from the pack. What can't he do? What?

Here's Vanessa Olivarez. Born and raised in the ATL (that's Atlanta for the un-hip), she was an energetic child, liked to sing and perform and be the center of attention (no! really?), Vanessa says she's very family-oriented, which belies her pink hair. Has a pot-belly pig named Bacon Bits, works as a hair colorist (the surprises just won't stop), likes vintage clothing, particularly '40s style dresses. She says they fit her perfectly.

Vanessa Olivarez, "You Keep Me Hangin' On"

Randy - "you did your thing... liked outfit... liked vibe... a bit pitchy... alright"

Paula - "a little pitchy.... fun... great personality"

Simon - "you're like Bette Midler... see you more as an entertainer than what we're look for in this competition"

Lamont - "good, very good"

Sting7- You know, Vanessa is very charming, but I still think she may be crazy. I agree that Vanessa is definitely a clown, which is sort of Simon was saying, but I don't see it as the drawback that he does. Part of Kelly Clarkson's charm is that she is so adorable and girl next door, and don't think for a minute that that didn't draw her a few extra votes. Vanessa is quite likeable, and every time Simon knocks her, she just rolls with it and keeps smiling. Julia could have learned a bit about that. Her performance, I think, was the best we'd seen from her. I thought Motown might rattle her, but she rolled with that, too. That flexibility shows she could be here a long time.

Meet Corey Clark. San Bernadino, CA's Corey Clark was an energetic child, joined ROTC, but doesn't know how Joshua can handle someone screaming in his face. Parents said they couldn't believe their eyes when they saw Corey's antics on that famous night when he should have been rehearsing. Corey says he thought he blew it, "it was close!" (Do you get the impression that Corey drew a lot more heat about that night than we were told about?) Loss of grandfather was devastating to Corey, seemed to signal a change in his life.

Corey Clark, "This Old Heart of Mine"

Randy - "you sing high dog!... didn't know you could do that (??)... good, not best, but alright"

Paula - "your voice makes you unique and refreshing... look great... excellent"

Simon - "did great... I like that you have a wild side... to be a pop star, you should have one... you look like a pop star"

Lamont - "you sound like a new and rising Smokey Robinson"

Sting7- Here in the halls of RNO, I've said that I am becoming a Corey Clark fan. I so admire those men have that upper range, which I do not! I thought I caught a teensy bit of pitchiness, but he showed flair, and his voice can be... can be... amazing when he tries hard.