When does a dream begin? And how will that dream end?
That was the opening line to American Idol Tuesday night, as final contestants Lauren Alaina, 16, and Scotty McCreery, 17, performed one last time before the grand finale Wednesday night.
The country singers, the youngest to ever make it to the final show, sang three songs each in an attempt to rally their supporters and woo any last swing voters their way. The drama started right out of the gate. Ryan Seacrest announced that Alaina was having trouble with her voice during rehearsal before the show.
That’s when they cued a doctor, who gave the 16-year-old the green light to perform and his prediction for a great performance.
“During the rehearsal, Lauren was really pushing her voice to get the maximum sound out. And during that she blew out one of her vocal chords,” the doctor said. “We gave her a lot of medicines…and she is going to be great.”
Vocal chord strain and all, Alaina impressed the judges throughout the night. But the high point for her was her last performance, when she sang “Like My Mother Does,” an original song she dedicated to her mother, which she will sing on Wednesday if she completes the dream and wins the competition.
During the song, Alaina walked toward her mother, held her hand and sang to her in a touching moment that stirred her parents to tears, and gave her the edge over Scotty in the eyes of the judges.
“This is a very tight race. But Lauren, with that song tonight you may have just won,” Jennifer López said. “You sang it beautifully. It was perfect for you. You sang it just the way you needed to.”
Steven Tyler concurred: “You are it, in my eyes.”
And Randy Jackson said her dream may become reality.
“It was exactly the summation of your journey. It was a great ode to your mother. It was the Lauren we fell in love with in Nashville," he said. "Lauren Alaina has arrived America…that was amazing, amazing.”
McCreery, for his part, began the night strong in his rendition of "Gone" by George Strait.
“I thought it was such an explosive start,” López said. “I couldn’t think of a better way to start the show then with 'Gone.' That was amazing.”
“Most important, though, they are both in it to win it,” Jackson shouted.
McCreery's night ended with the song, "I love You This Big," an originally written song that he will perform if he wins Wednesday night.
The performance was praised by the judges, but McCreery fell just short – at least in the eyes of the star-studded judges – of Alaina’s final act.
“You are our great story teller. You did a really amazing job with that song,” López said.
“Scotty, you are here, you are in it to win it. I am proud of you because you have grown so much since you’ve been here,” Jackson said.
“You nailed it again,” Tyler said.
By Bryan Llenas
5:49 AM
Salsa Circuit
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