American Idle

Who knows if Luke Menard, for example, really had cancer during the show. It was something he preferred to share with himself and those close to him. What he shared was his music and his heart.

Moving on from that, people like to point fingers at those who may not be as talented. What I would like to say to that is these individuals are America; that’s why the public enjoys watching auditions. It’s sad that Idol has cut back on auditions for season 8, for they were the highlight of my viewing. Not because they were simply poor singers, but because they shared their stories with me. Often heart-rendering, these are the stories that weave us together and make us feel as though we can accomplish anything. I certainly hope they won’t be wiped off the faces of televisions across the country.

And finally, we come to my unsung heroes for 2008. They were selected for a variety of reasons. Some made me laugh; others made me cry and still others had me snorting my drink up my nose (true story!) as I laughed.

5. Luke Menard - He may have only made it to the Top 24, but in my book the fact he performed while essentially fighting the cancer eating away at him is a story nobody should soon forget. Had he been in a different set of circumstances he may have made it to the Top 12.

4. Paula Goodspeed - Even though it’s been weeks I still get goosebumps thinking about how seriously Idol contestants take this show. Proof positive is the late Goodspeed, the girl from Maine who moved to Hollywood to become a star and to be closer to her idol, Paula Abdul. She is also the season 5 auditioner who took her own life in front of Abdul‘s home in late 2008. It’s both a sad and disgusting story, one which will soon be a made-for-TV movie I’m sure. It’s sad because this girl had severe mental illness stemming from repeated sexual abuse she suffered as a child. It’s disgusting because she shouldn’t have been allowed on Idol in the first place, based on her fragile mental condition.

3. Danny Noriega - Noriega (above photo) was one person away from making it to the Top 10, finishing in eleventh place in season 7. His charisma was evident throughout the show as he playfully bantered with Simon and became a cult hero to millions.

2. Alexis Cohen & James Lewis - Ah, where would we be without singers who, truthfully, may not be as talented as somebody like Noriega or Menard? The answer is listening to Cohen and Lewis (singing above), two singers who auditioned in Philadelphia in season 7 and became overnight sensations for simply being themselves. That, I think, is what Idol’s all about and why it generates such astronomical ratings. Say what you will about their singing, but sometimes it’s more than that.

1. Josiah Leming - Can there be any doubt? Leming may have been the most talented musician to have ever played on American Idol and that’s not a stretch. What’s more inspiring is the road Leming has taken, obviously less-traveled and it did make all the difference, as a famous poet once wrote. Living out of his car at the time he auditioned, Leming also had a heavy heart, watching his mother slowly succumb to cancer. But from such pain came a great person, one who fought on even though he was eliminated from season 7 well before his time and told his story to millions more on talk shows like Ellen. People listened and soon Leming received a record deal from Warner Bros. Ironically his record came out before two-thirds of the Idol 7 Top 10 had even been signed to any deal.