Ryan Seacrest: (Introduction) One singer left before we open up the lines and you vote. It is Katharine McPhee...
Intro clip... Katharine: (Greeting Rod Stewart with a hug) Nice to meet you. (Laughs)
Rod Stewart: Good to see you too Katharine. What are you going to sing for us?
Katharine: Well, ah, I have a couple of choices.
Rod: Which one do you want to give us first.
Katharine: (Sings) ¯ Are the stars out tonight? ¯ I don't know if it's cloudy or bright ¯ 'Cause I only have eyes.... ¯
Katharine: (To camera) I was tryin' to you know, feel out what he thought might be good.
Katharine: (Sings, while Rod dances with guys' vocal coach Dorian Holley) ¯ And the world is cold ¯ (Speaks) I'm the wedding singer (Sings) ¯ ...will feel a glow ¯ Just thinking of you ¯ [Rod joins in] ¯ And the way you look tonight ¯
Rod: (To camera) Katharine, I believe is born to sing the standards.
Rod: (To Katharine in rehearsals) I don't want you to sing the last one, because I'm going to sing that on the show... So er... (Laughs as he rips up the sheet music and throws the pieces up in the air)
Katharine: (Shrieks with surprise)
Katharine: (To camera) I went over a lot of different songs and er, I just decided to sing "Someone To Watch Over Me"...
Katharine: (Singing in rehearsals) ¯ Someone to watch over me ¯
Rod: (To camera) I would imagine big things for her.
Rod: (In rehearsals, praising Katharine to the pianist) There's not much I can say about this girl. She's fantastic!
Katharine: (Laughs, a little embarrassed)
Katharine sings...
¯ There's a somebody I'm longing to see ¯ I hope that he turns out to be ¯ Someone who'll watch over me ¯ I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood ¯ I know I could always be good ¯ To one who'll watch over me ¯ Although he may not be the man ¯ Some girls think of as handsome ¯ To my heart he carries the key ¯ Won't you tell him please to put on some speed ¯ Follow my lead, oh, how I need ¯ Someone who'll watch over me ¯ Yeahhhh-eh ¯ Someone who'll watch over me-ee-ee-ee-ee-eee ¯
(Cheers and applause)
Simon Cowell: Paula.
Randy Jackson: So Yo.
Simon Cowell: Paula.
Randy Jackson: This is... This is your element. You love these kinds of songs... (Continuing applause) ...
Katharine: (Hand to ear) I can't hear. (Laughs)
Randy Jackson: (Laughs) I know it's hard to hear. (Audience quietens) This is your element. You love these kind of songs man. You sailed on this. You put even them little runs at the end. (Katharine laughs) I loved it. It was 'excel-lent'.
Katharine: (Smiling) Thank you. (She laughs, the audience cheers)
Paula Abdul: Tonight I feel like I'm watching for the first time... falling in love with the essence of who you are. This reminds me of "Mr Holland's Opus"
Katharine: (Emotional) I know! (Squeals indistinctly)
Paula Abdul: Oh good! And you know what, you picked the most perfect song that is so you.
Randy Jackson: (Agreeing) Mmmm. Yeah.
Paula Abdul: Congratulations, you're eloquent... elegant and beautiful. (Cheers)
Randy Jackson: Simon?
Simon Cowell: I really think Katharine that you made the others look good amateurs. (Some cheers)
Paula Abdul: (To Simon) Oh, come on!
Simon Cowell: It was in a completely and utterly different league. So you look like...
Randy Jackson: So you're sayin' she was excellent.
Paula Abdul: And congratulations!
Simon Cowell: (Forearms raised, showing his palms) You look like... (Presses his right hand down toward Paula) Shush!
Paula Abdul: (Retaliates) Shush!
Randy Jackson: You said she was excellent?
Simon Cowell: You look like a returning pro. I thought it was so much better than the others.
Paula Abdul: And Rod Stewart gets a big kudos... (overhead claps) because...
Randy Jackson: Yeah (Applauds)
Paula Abdul: ...obviously he worked with you guys fantastic.
Simon Cowell: It was great.
Katharine: Thank you.
Ryan Seacrest: (Greeting Katharine onstage) With the home run performance. Father McPhee in tears. (Gives out the voting numbers) Katharine McPhee ladies and gentlemen.
Katharine: Thank you!