[silent_jonny]

(((American Idol Ping)))

The Top 12

(In Alphabetical Order)

Paris Bennett

Paris began singing at the age of 4. She has performed in numerous concerts and has opened for many groups, including Bow Wow. Paris is a skilled dancer in hip-hop, jazz and modern African dance.

Kevin Covais

Kevin is a junior at Island Trees High School in Levittown, NY. He has been performing since he was 10 years old and has appeared in productions such as "Guys and Dolls" and "Godspell." Kevin also is a member of the Chorale in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and the Nassau/Suffolk Jazz ensemble.

Bucky Covington

Bucky lives in his hometown of Rockingham, NC. At the age of 19, he picked up a guitar for the first time and soon after joined his first band. About two years ago, Bucky switched to a country/beach/rock band and realized that his talent crosses many types of music.

Chris Daughtry

Chris discovered his singing ability in algebra class. A gifted guitar player and songwriter, Chris has already recorded a CD with his band Absent Element. For the past three years, Chris has been a service advisor for a car dealership in Greensboro, NC. In 2000, Chris married his wife Deanna and became a stepfather of two.

Taylor Hicks

Taylor is a blue-eyed soul singer who has played every honky-tonk imaginable. A talented writer and harmonica player, Taylor enters the competition with almost 29 years of singing experience, as he has been singing since he could crawl.

Mandisa Hundley

Born and raised in Citrus Heights, CA, Mandisa moved to Nashville to study singing at Fisk University. She has performed with such artists as Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill and Charlie Daniels.

Melissa McGhee

Melissa was born and raised in Tampa. At the young age of 4 Melissa embarked on her performing career. A true romantic, Melissa enjoys singing, dancing and going to the beach in her free time.

Katherine McPhee

Katharine was born and raised in Los Angeles. She was exposed at an early age to the joy of singing by her mother, a vocal coach. After high school, Katharine attended the prestigious Boston Conservatory for one semester and majored in musical theater.

Kellie Pickler

Kellie is a waitress who currently lives in Albemarle, NC, and enjoys singing, dancing and shopping for shoes. Kellie has been singing for as long as she can remember, but only began performing for crowds four years ago.

Lisa Tucker

Lisa is currently a senior at Kennedy High School. She was the original "Young Nala" in Disney's Los Angeles production of "The Lion King" and was voted by Variety as one of the "Top Ten Talents to Watch." Lisa also plays the guitar and piano and is a songwriter.

Elliot Yamin

Elliott began singing at the ripe age of 5. His mother, who was a professional singer, is his inspiration and biggest fan. For Elliott, being on AMERICAN IDOL has allowed him to pursue his dream of singing professionally.

Ace Young

Ace is the youngest of five brothers. Ace grew up in Boulder, CO, and began his singing career at age 9. He started performing at 11 in local malls and recreation centers. Ace lives in Los Angeles and works in sales and home remodeling.

Click here for Pics & Bios of the Top 24

As always, if you want on or off this ping list, just let me know :)

[tiredoflaundry]

Here!

[maggief]

_jonnnnnnny!!!

[tapatio]

Good evening everyone!

[Wolfstar]

Hi Jonny. Time to GET IT ONNNNN! Do two get eliminated this week or one?

[Jrabbit]

Here I am! Hi everyone!!

[Lil'freeper]

Aahm a meee-ink!!!

[kevkrom]

Recap/review coming later... my schedule's off a bit, but I should have it by tonight.

[Feiny]

Kevin looks like a future serial killer.

[kevkrom]

I think Simon said it right... it was like watching two different shows. The latter half (minus Chicken Little) were vastly superior to the first half. Most of the early performances were plagued by nerves, especially in bad starts.

Folks will be able nit-pick on the order, but there's no doubt that the first 5 are separated by a hair -- any order is pretty much interchangeable with another.

1. Taylor - It's about freaking time he showed up... knocked this one out of the park. I wasn't fond of the "bridge", but that's the only bad thing I can say. My Grade: A
2. Katherine - Ditto. Where has she been the last three weeks? But sweetie, fire your makeup and wardrobe folks. My Grade: A
3. Paris - A bit affected, but another "nailed" performance. My Grade: A
4. Lisa - A bit theatrical, but very professional. Just needs to add that extra "wow factor" as Simon calls it. My Grade: A-
5. Chris - His "style" covered the fact that his voice isn't as good as the top contenders. This was an excellent, solid performance. My Grade: A-
6. Mandisa - Snakebit by nerves in the beginning, got it back under control. Does she do anything except "belt"? My Grade: B
7. Elliott - It was, to invoke Randy, "a'ight". Sounded good, after the opening jitters, but it just wasn't a "star" performance. My Grade: B-
8. Bucky - Clearly his best performance to date; to his credit he is improving. That said, his "growl" still covers the fact that he's missing notes (flat). My Grade: B-
9. Ace - It was like watching a Michael Jackson impersonator trying to do Stevie Wonder, and just as painful. Too breathy, annoying, and pretentious (not to mention light-in-the-loafers). My Grade: C+
10. Kellie - Nervous, missing notes. Like Bucky, her "twang" helps cover the fact that she's missing notes all over the place. My Grade: C
11. Melissa - Can we please have Ayla back? I don't know what Simon was hearing, but this was awful. The beginning was a mess, pitch all over the place, and even when she got pitch under control, her tone was awful, it made her sound flat. Nice dress, though. My Grade: D+
12. Kevin - I refuse to grade or critique this bad joke.

Overall standings:

1. Lisa Tucker (NC)
2. Paris Bennett (+2)
3. Katherine McPhee (+2)
4. Mandisa (-1)
5. Chris Daughtry (+1)
6. Elliott Yamin (-4)
7. Taylor Hicks (+1)
8. Ace Young (-1)
9. Bucky Covington (+2)
10. Kellie Pickler (NC)
11. Melissa McGhee (-2)
12. Kevin Covais (NC)