No other artist in pop music history has been more influential than Diana Ross. Everyone who loves music has at one time or another stood in front of the mirror pretending a hairbrush was a microphone and sung one of her songs. And you know you all wanted to stand up front while your two friends sang back-up. She sang lead vocals on 12 classic #1 songs with the Supremes and on her own she topped the charts 6 more times. She was a predominant force on the radio airwaves for three decades. Her impact on the pop music world as we know it is undeniable. Long before they had their own #1 hits and an Oscar, Diana Ross paved the way for Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson to become the DreamGirls they are today. The TOP 12 finalists are incredibly lucky to have worked all week with Ms. Ross and benefit from her experience and talent. Here's what they made of it:
You Can't Hurry Love was a #1 smash in 1966 for two weeks. It's an energetic up-tempo pop number, but Brandon Rogers just sucked all the life out of it. His singing experience comes from being a back-up singer and that's where he belongs. His voice cracked, he forgot the words and his vocals overall are simply not that interesting. Diana did the best she could, but Brandon didn't give her much to work with.
Diana Ross starred in the movie version of The Wiz and she turned Home into the amazing showstopper that it needs to be on the big screen. Melinda Doolittle had no problem whatsoever proving her capabilities with this challanging song. It was soft and subtle in all the right places and she belted out the big notes with ease. Melinda made this a breeze for Diana.
For nine weeks in 1981 Diana shared the #1 spot with Lionel Richie for their beautiful duet, Endless Love. Chris Sligh not only took off his glasses tonight, but he also mixed it up by performing a new and interesting arrangement of the song. It may have been a risk, but it allowed his voice to take center stage. He decided that Diana didn't have much insight to offer him and he stayed true to himself. The drawback is that he may have lost the emotional connection to the song.
Love Child was an image changing #1 hit for the Supremes for two weeks in 1968. It was a story song with a social conscience unlike their previous hits. Gina Glockson couldn't depend on simply being the rock chick and screaming the song out. She needed to convey that the power of the song comes from a catchy hook connected to meaningful lyrics. Gina just looked like she was trying really hard to remember the words and the vocals were an afterthought. Diana apparently left her too starstruck to listen.
Now this is the reason Sanjaya Malakar is in the top 12. It's the car wreck you just can't take your eyes off of. He teased his hair to look as much like one of Diana's biggest wigs as he could. The question is, "why was he merely wearing a striped sweater?" He should have gone all out and put on the sequined gown and the feather boa. Just turn the volume down and watch the disaster so you don't have to hear him destroy her first #1 as a solo artist in 1970, Ain't No Mountain High Enough. There's nothing Diana could have done to help him.
Diana had her final top 10 hit with Missing You in 1985. It was her emotional tribute to Marvin Gaye after his death. Haley Scarnato truly did her best to be true to the song, but when she completely butchered the lyrics during the dramatic crescendo it sealed her fate. While it started out well as she mastered the wonderful subtleties of the song, she'll be remembered as the very pretty girl who made a very sloppy debut. Diana is probably heartbroken that the nerves got the best of Haley.
In 1968 the Supremes teamed up with the Temptatations for their #2 collaboration, I'm Gonna Make You Love Me. Phil Stacey has to hope that you tune in only for his last note because he belts that one out with strength and confidence. The rest of the song was incredibly drab and vocally dreary. If you already love him, great, but this performance isn't gonna make anyone new love him. Once again, Diana gave her best, but there isn't much to work with.
In 1973 Diana earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Sings The Blues. Diana used her versatile talent to make Billie's bluesy/jazz classics her own. LaKisha Jones stood center stage in a shimmering white gown and performed a very convincing rendition of God Bless The Child. She was in complete control of her voice and toned it down in exactly the right way. LaKisha clearly hung on every word of advice that Diana gave her.
You Keep Me Hanging On is one of the rare songs that has hit #1 twice by two different artists. The Supremes topped the charts for two weeks in 1966 and Kim Wilde made it a #1 again in 1987. Blake Lewis could take this song to #1 for a third time. He's the first finalist of the evening to thoroughly own the stage with his performance. Everything fell into place perfectly. He looked great, he danced across the floor with style and his vocals were smooth and flawless. The boy has star-quality and rhythm. Another breeze for Diana...
Diana Ross took over the disco dance floors with her 1976 #1 song, Love Hangover. Stephanie Edwards decided to leave everyone hanging and skip the toe tapping second half of the song. While she ran circles around the sultry vibe of the first part of the song with her amazing vocals, it was unfortunately unsatisfying. Her choice makes sense since the second half has almost no lyrics. It's a great song, but not the right song to perform on this stage. Hopefully she will get another chance.
Diana remained the disco diva through 1979 when she hit the top 20 with The Boss. Chris Richardson seemed a little out of his element as he attempted to interpret this dancefloor anthem. He was most likely unfamiliar with Diana's material and he just took a stab in the dark. His looks and moves weren't enough to prevent him from missing the target. Chris is clearly too young and inexperienced to have benefitted more from Diana's input.
In 1988, Diana contributed her talents to the soundtrack to the animated film, The Land Before Time. The song is called If We Hold On Together and Jordin Sparks managed to make it sound interesting and entertaining even though it was unfamiliar. This young lady has plenty of vocal talent and it will be a pleasure to see her get better and better each week. She was clearly open to Diana's words of wisdom and it showed.
Tomorrow night the lowest vote getter will be sent home. It's too bad we won't be losing three or four of these finalists. Brandon, Haley and Sanjaya should definitely be in the bottom three. I'd love to see Sanjaya go home and spare us all from future car wrecks, but I fear that people are still calling in for him. My prediction is that Brandon's trip will come to an end.
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