Celebrity Duets, September 15: Duet To Me One More Time

Wayne Brady welcomes us. He tells us that the celebrities are feeling the pressure tonight! No doubt, after the rough treatment they got from the judges!

Wayne takes us back to relive Thursday night, which you can read all about here. Next, our celebrities sing Earth Wind and Fire’s “September.” Nothing new is learned – Jai and Alfonzo are the class of the field, Cheech and Carly are flat enough to redefine a straight line. “September” is a song that just can’t be done badly. Lucky for all of us.

Wayne reintroduces the judges, though Little Richard had a prior engagement. Wayne asks who the judges think will be leaving. Marie first says David Foster should after his comments last night. Then she adds that Hal Sparks, her husband, and probably Cheech will be waiting for David in the parking lot. Oh, and she thinks Cheech is going, but hopes its not Alfonzo. She thinks he’s been delivering every week. (Me too.)

David agrees he hopes its not Alfonzo, but thinks Jai slipped a little and Carly came up some. (Really??)

Now it’s time for some new duets – not for official judging, but just for fun… and to fill the hour of this show. Jai says he is worried about singing with Taylor Dayne, and the song is tough. The song in question is “Love Will Lead You Back.” Taylor starts it off rich and strong, Jai joins her in mid-stride and right on pace. Together they are outstanding, maybe the duet of the season. Jai can blow! Oh. Wait. I’m leaving it.

Jai says he is confused by the judges’ comments, he thinks he’s been pretty good, considering he’s been doing R&B and its not his genre. Wayne says despite what David said last night, Jai is safe!

Carly is all a-twitter over Jesse McCartney (no relation to Paul). She thinks she can pull herself together. Jesse thinks some of his songs are more girl-songs after hearing her sing them. Some would say his songs were girl-songs after he sang them! Not me. I would never.

Carly and Jesse sing “Right Where You Want Me.” And this song is right where she needs to be! It is her best performance to date! If she sang like this last night, I wouldn’t even put her in the bottom three.

After the performance, there are some young girls who seem to want to rush the stage, and are stopped in their tracks! Jesse takes it in stride, but Wayne plays up calling off security. Security hazard that he is, Jesse is led off stage.

Carly says the difference is she was singing with someone her own age and she felt more comfortable. But, once again, Wayne tells her she is in the bottom three.

Wayne asks the marauding fourteen-year-olds what they would have done if they had made it to the stage. “You don’t want to know!” is the answer. I think she’s right. My eyes.

Cheech is having hard time with the timing in singing with Aaron Neville. He thinks last night was the bomb. (It was a bomb, anyway.) But Cheech seems confident!

He and Aaron are “Sittin’ On the Dock of the Bay” and Cheech isn’t all bad. It’s a good key for him. But he has no idea how to harmonize with Aaron. Fortunately, Aaron is handling harmonies, and the result is not so bad. But not good either. So long, Cheech.

Aaron is excused without anyone rushing the stage for him. Cheech says he is taking the competition very seriously, and if he stays, he’s going to have more fun. Starting with Marie. (Ha!) Marie may not have to lose any sleep fending off Pepe LeCheech, he’s in the bottom three.

Deniece Williams is impressed with Alfonzo’s preparation. She also instructs him that a good duet must show the relationship of the two people. To demonstrate this, she and Alfonzo sing “It’s Gonna Take a Miracle” and they are fantastic. It looks like Alfonzo is over that sore throat! (The wicked Stinger was hoping they would try to make “Let’s Hear It For the Boy” into a duet! Tee-hee!)

Alfonzo says he can’t help but feel the music, despite the judges’ comments. He does a pretty good Little Richard impression, and then Wayne reminds us Alfonzo will do the Carlton Dance if he makes the finals. That dance just may happen, because Alfonzo is safe!