Canadian Idol 6 – Episode 28

It’s results night for the final 4; Earl, Mitch, Drew and Theo. Anne Murray and American Idol 6 winner Jordin Sparks are along to provide the filler.

Anne does Daydream Believer followed by Can I Have This Dance. Age has ravaged her pitch-perfect voice. The husky lower register is recognizable, but when she sweeps up to that once crystal clear top end the bell-like resonance is gone. Her voice trembles, making her sound decades older than her 63 years.

Afterword she tells Mulroney that she really wanted to give the contestants, “useful tips.” That she did. It was kind of spooky the way she isolated each performer’s weak spot and made them better singers with a sentence of direction and no more. I hope she gives singing lessons regularly. A national treasure.

Ms Sparks does her current pop hit One Step at a Time. Nice bubblegum. Amberly would do a great job on it.

It’s time for the results. No bottom three to build suspense; Mulroney calls them all out, acts like he’s going start toying and – boom! – out it comes. Earl, who Mulroney calls, Everybody’s best friend,” goes home.

Good ride, Earl. I remember the first time I heard you. “We end with Earl Stevenson, a gangly, soft spoken 23 year old from Lloydminster, Alberta. He’s been working at Bob’s Backhoe for two months but hasn’t gotten his first pay cheque yet, so he doesn’t know what he’s making. He was a serious snowboarder (has the video to prove it) but hurt his knee. He does a version of Heard It Through the Grapevine that knocks me and the judges on our collectives asses. Beautiful voice, great rhythm.”

It should have been Earl and Theo in the final two. Well it won’t be Earl and it may not even be Theo. Tonight Zack told him he needs to “skip the pop crap,” and focus on his own style. Odd words coming from someone who’s constantly reminding contestants that Canadian Idol is a competition for pop singers.