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We all saw it. We were all "shocked" by it, according to the mainstream media. Rocker Chris Daughtry got the thumbs down on "American Idol."
I guess I live in a different reality, but it wasn't a surprise to me at this point in the competition. Chris was the logical choice to go.
Don't get me wrong. I like the guy. He's incredibly talented. I mean, Wow! What a voice! And as Simon pointed out, Chris refused to compromise.
And that's why he had to go.
When Chris makes an album, which I hope will be soon, it's going to be a hard-edged, powerhouse vocal barrage. I'll probably buy it myself.
But the number of people who really enjoy that style of music must be a small percentage of the overall music scene. Fans can sniff about corporate shilling all they like, but the show is "American Idol," not "Niche Idol."
If you're trying to find a singer who will appeal to the broadest swath of America, you need to find someone who's flexible and inventive, not someone who's going to subject every song to the hard-rock rubric.
Elliott Yamin, Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks have the necessary flexibility to be the idol. Chris didn't.
End of story? Hopefully not. Chris is a very good artist. He probably has a lucrative career ahead of him. If he learns to be a little more adaptable and expand the range of his repertoire, he'll be great.
--Tad Cronn
My Web site
American Idol
American Idol Season 5
Chris Daughtry
Katharine McPhee
Taylor Hicks
Elliott Yamin
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