Goodbye Erika Van Pelt! - American Idol Top 10 Elimination

It is rare to find a singer on American Idol that will impress me enough to actually want to go and buy their music... but Erika Van Pelt is actually an artist who I will continue to support after this competition. America definitely got it wrong this week:



Erika looked fierce with her new makeover. The hair was hot, the jacket was ridiculous and the makeup showcased her natural beauty. Her voice has elements of jazz, soul, rnb, pop and even rock. This girl can do it all. A graduate from Berklee School of Music, Erika is not some amateur singer on a reality show, she is a seasoned professional.  Unlike Heejun who feels the need to take his shirt off and DeAndre who frolicked around with his lion mane, Erika just sang...and sang VERY well. Unfortunately, America simply cannot appreciate the subtleties of being a true vocal artist.

Tonight we said goodbye to Erika Van Pelt, but I know that we will be seeing more of her soon. She is much too talented to only have these 15 minutes of fame.

Best of luck to you, Erika!

American Idol Season 11 - Goodbye Shannon Magrane

It makes me so sad to see the lovely and talented Shannon Magrane leave Season 11's American Idol competition. Shannon was one of our beloved Dream Ticket Winners and truly such a beautiful, young singer. To be able to sing with that immense amount of power, soul and finesse at only 16 years of age is truly a blessing from God. I wish Shannon the best as she begins this exciting adventure in her life. I am confident that she will have a long, successful career in this industry. She carries herself with grace, poise and dignity.



Last night, Shannon sang a wonderful rendition of Mariah Carey & Boyz 2 Men's "One Sweet Day." It was an extremely difficult song to undertake, but her delivery was strong, passionate and well above her years. Her flaws are minor compared to the maturity and grace that she carries herself with despite her tender age.

Shannon, you will be missed!