Adam Lambert Wows, Megan Joy 'A Trainwreck' On 'Idol'

NEW YORK — Adam Lambert showed his softer side on "American Idol," earning a standing ovation for his smooth performance of "The Tracks of My Tears."

Guest mentor Smokey Robinson, who originally performed the classic song with the Miracles, rose to his feet after watching the 26-year-old theater actor hit all the right notes during Wednesday's Motown-themed installment of the "Fox" singing competition.

Lambert, who's from Los Angeles, ditched his rocker duds for a sleek silver suit and smoothed his black hair back into an Elvis-style pompadour.

Judge Simon Cowell said Lambert delivered the night's best performance and became a star in his eyes. Fellow judge Kara Dioguardi agreed, saying Lambert showed "true artistry."

The four judges were also equally impressed by the vocal stylings of Allison Iraheta, Matt Giraud and Kris Allen. Cowell liked Allen's cover of "How Sweet It Is" but said the 23-year-old married heartthrob from Conway, Ark., needs to show more swagger and confidence.

Lil Rounds and Danny Gokey scored mixed reviews for their respective renditions of "Heat Wave" and "Get Ready." Cowell told Rounds, 24, of Memphis, Tenn., she'd missed a potential "Idol"-defining "moment" by picking the wrong song (he'd rather hear the soul singer belt "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"). But the cranky judge had harsher words for Gokey, deeming the 28-year-old crowd pleaser "clumsy and amateurish."

Michael Sarver and Megan Joy had a tougher time on stage. Judges slammed Sarver's cover of "Ain't Too Proud To Beg." Even sugary-sweet Paula Abdul chimed in, comparing the 27-year-old oil rig worker from Jasper, Texas, to an old-school Vegas lounge act.

Joy, 23, of Sandy, Utah, was targeted for her shaky take on "For Once in My Life." Cowell called Joy's performance "horrible" while Randy Jackson declared it a "train wreck" and "mad crazy."

One of the 10 finalists will be sent packing on Thursday's elimination show _ unless judges act on the new rule that allows them to save a favorite contestant they feel has been unfairly booted by voting viewers.

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On the Net:

http://www.americanidol.com

Comments

[Noland]

06:49 PM on 03/27/2009

I had to recant my original accessment of Adam after that performance. I started a 'Adam sucks' campaign on the Idol sight because Broadway voices are nothing more than high-pitched screeches that are equivolent to nails on a chalk board. However, I was on my feet appauding after that performance. I stand corrected. The kid can SANG!

[schicklett3]

01:53 PM on 03/27/2009

Adam Lambert is a true entertainer, all the rest seem like amateurs.
The silliest part of Idol this year is the "judges huddle" to "save" a contestant...it's idiotic and has no credibility at all.
And Paula hogging the camera and dancing around like a teenager is just silly.
When Simon leaves the show, the show is done.

[spinstahbabe]

11:00 AM on 03/27/2009

Check out Adam's vocal from Brigadoon on youtube. It's unbelievably beautiful. The guy could sing opera or at least play the lead in broadway musicals.

[JustLucky]

06:23 PM on 03/28/2009

Thank you! That's amazing.

[Roland1232]

10:27 PM on 04/01/2009

Boy, you weren't kidding. That was awesome, glad I checked it out.

[Fletch17C]

10:27 AM on 03/27/2009

Adam was pretty awesome this week. I didn't get his version of "Ring of Fire," but his "Tracks of My Tears" was one of the best Idol performances I've ever seen.

Megan comes off like a bad, second-rate beauty pageant contestant.

Danny reminds of me of my uncle when he got drunk at my cousin's wedding reception and started singing with the band. He actually sang on key, but he looked like a total fool.

How the hell did Matt land in the bottom 3?

[broody]

01:01 AM on 03/27/2009

‘Star of the Night’ Adam Lambert gets standing ovation from guest judge Smokey Robinson

http://celeb9.com/blog/2009/03/star-of-the-night-adam-lambert-gets-standing-ovation-from-guest-judge-smokey-robinson.html

[kdlaiusa]

10:18 PM on 03/26/2009

All of them are great singers.
But if any one of them is to be chosen as the next idol, then we need to go deeper than singing skills. The potential winner needs to be highly marketable as a product. At the end of the day, the winner will be handed a contract and will be treated as a product.

So ask ourselves, who has talents AND marketability? I would pick Adam. Danny is great, but not much can be done with a monotone. Megan's tattoo is way too big.

[msoverall]

08:17 PM on 03/26/2009

Adam was good, but he's a little weird, he skeeves me out. I don't get why everyone hates Danny Gokey, he can sing but he needs someone to help him with the dancing. Lil has problems with her control and someone told her that loud equals good, she was shrieking throughout the entire song. It's time for the blind guy to go, he's bland, boring and has no stage presence and an ok voice. Either him or the girl who sounds like she's drunk.

[Noland]

06:53 PM on 03/27/2009

LOL, I completely agree.

[SharonB]

08:01 PM on 03/26/2009

That kid named Adam is a good lookin' young man! I like his punk look better though.

[fame]

07:40 PM on 03/26/2009

Adam is fake as hell. A costume change is not true artistry, lol. Adam HAS no idea who he is as an artist. None. Which is why he can dress up like Elvis and not feel ridiculous. He dresses up every day of his life, he is totally devoid of any identity. Which is pretty sad, actually.

He'd be a great Vegas act. Trying to sell records in this industry, in this economy probably won't work out too well for him.

[citizensrus]

01:43 AM on 03/27/2009

Madonna dresses up, is theatrical, makes a big production out of her songs. She was a BIG money maker, probably still is a big money maker.
Believe it or not, this is what some people want. I do. I like a production.

[MadamRoma]

10:02 AM on 03/27/2009

Tell them about it, this guy Adam is as talented as anyone I have heard in the last 20 years.

[Harmony1812]

12:28 PM on 03/27/2009

It's called showmanship. Remember Cher, Michael Jackson, Elvis?

[AmandaRuth]

06:15 PM on 03/26/2009

please, vote off Megan, the beautiful or Danny, the tragic.

I absolutely love Allison, for her young age, she is fantastic. If she ever gets "jennifer Hudson'd", the judges would do well by saving her.

[Kelra]

05:54 PM on 03/26/2009

Adam is the sole reason I watch AI now. I just love him to bits.

[mtnsurfer]

05:44 PM on 03/26/2009

I'm a big Megan Joy fan! Not because she can sing the phonebook, because she can't. I just love her smokey-jazzy style. Last night she went away from that style, WHY?, you have to be yourself and live with the consequences. She won't win American Idol, but I still want to see her as many weeks as possible. I hope she gets another chance and returns to her style win or lose. Motown week should have been the best week of the year. With all the incredible song choices what happened? Many songs were to fast paced ala Danny, Lil & even Megan. Were they in a hurry? Lil, as good a singer as she is, needs to get a grip. She talks to much after the judges comments and sounds very conceded and full of herself. She could win by being a little more humble. Scott also needs to stop talking after comments, he sounds like he's making excuses. Adam, now I loved his Johnny Cash song interpertaion last week, very inovative, but last night as many compliments as he got, he sounded like a little girl. I know he's a favorite and I agree he should be. I've always wondered when a contestant picks a bad song for them like Megan did, doesn't anyone family members or friends just stop them and say oh no don't sing that it's not you. Oh well I'll be watching the results tonight and next weeks show as well.

[Ohioan730]

05:09 PM on 03/26/2009

I'm with Simon. I don't even watch AI anymore because everyone is too afraid to pick the really difficult and entertaining song choices. 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' is much more challenging and impressive than 'Track of My Tears'. As usual, the British guy knows how to cut through the pop and fluff and get right to the soul. Why American music critics don't have the same ability, I'll never understand. That's why all of our pop stars suck.

[LeeChesnut]

04:30 PM on 03/26/2009

Anyone else think that Danny Gokey is slowly morhping into Taylor Hicks right before our very eyes? I have other thoughts, here: http://www.ryanseacrest.com/blog/americanidol/

[BlackDahlia]

03:43 PM on 03/26/2009

You got it dead-on. It's going to be a Michael, Scott and Megan bottom 3. I keep waiting for Scott to be voted off, even though Megan is very so-so and Michael is just *there*. Scott is like that overeager cruise singer. Painfully cheesy. And you know exactly what he's going to do every single week.