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I Don't Mean to Be Rude, But...: Backstage Gossip from American Idol & the Secrets that Can Make You a Star

Katharine McPhee - American Idol 5 - Final 6 - Love Songs - Andrea Bocelli and David Foster

Katharine McPhee
Song: I Have Nothing Download 'I Have Nothing' at iTunes Check out 'I Have Nothing' at Amazon.com (Whitney Houston Download 'Whitney Houston' tracks at iTunes Check out 'Whitney Houston' at Amazon.com)

Katharine McPhee belts out Whitney Houston's love song "I Have Nothing" on American Idol Final 6 night.
Katharine seems to get on really well with Andrea Bocelli and David Foster in rehearsals. Her song choice "I Have Nothing" was co-written by David and he gives her a few tips on phrasing. He seems like a bit of a perfectionist but he's really impressed by Katharine who he thinks "has a great, great future".
Katharine McPhee sings an impromptu rendition of "The Prayer" with Andrea Bocelli.

When David questions whether Katharine can sing opera she bursts into a couple of bars from "The Prayer Download 'The Prayer' at iTunes Check out 'The Prayer' at Amazon.com" (La Preghiera), a Bocelli-Dion number from Andrea's album "Sogno". Andrea is delighted and joins in for an impromptu duet. What we hear of it sounds as good as the original.

Incidentally "The Prayer" was composed by Carole Bayer Sager and... yes, none other than David Foster!

Andrea makes us laugh when he describes Katharine as beautiful and young. Andrea's been blind since he was 12 and David is curious about how he knows this. "Don't Worry!" says Andrea wearing a cheeky grin!
As soon as we see Katharine walk on stage we are convinced this is going to be a very bouncy number! This is because her breezy yellow dress is eye-poppingly low cut. She even has a minor wardrobe malfunction when one of the lower buttons of her dress pops open to reveal a little more leg than she'd planned. All this could have been a distraction, however, tonight it's Katharine's vocal performance which is the main attraction.

Her voice is strong and confident and she commands our attention as she acts out the drama of the song. The McPheeverish runs are there, but like last week, they're in all the right places. (No, we've stopped talking about that dress already!)

When Katharine sings... ¯ Don't walk away from me ¯ ...we couldn't possibly, because she is absolutely riveting tonight!

Katharine McPhee delivers with plenty of power and passion on the Idol stage tonight.
Katharine's was the last performance the judges critiqued last week and they were all totally blown away. It looks like more of the same is in store for Miss McPhee! ...Yes, it looks that way, but strangely it doesn't sound that way at all!
Randy tells Katharine the number is "too big for her". He seems aghast that she's doing this ultimate Whitney song and tells her she "didn't come close". We're left wondering two things. "Did Randy come close to listening to Katharine tonight?" and "Does Randy worship blindly at the shrine of Whitney?"

On to Paula who begins by telling Katharine she looks stunning. This is always a bad sign. Paula says it's "serious and tough" in the competition now. She tells Katharine "there were pitch problems" and that she falls "a little flat" when she "hits the power notes".

Katharine could never sound as flat as Paula does right now, her gravitas is suffocating. We're left wondering two things. "How come Paula stayed so serious for so long?" and "Is Katharine being ticked off or picked off?"

After singing her socks off Katharine McPhee is understandably puzzled by the negativity and gravitas coming from the judges' table tonight.
Simon Cowell's face says it all to Katharine. But none of it makes any sense!

It's Simon's turn. We brace ourselves. He too is hung up on the Whitney thing.

First he tells Katharine that she's trying to say she's as good as Whitney and she isn't. He then turns this around a bit and tells Katharine "if you're gonna sing a song... like a Whitney song, you've got to be as good... and what you told us was... you're not."

We're left wondering two things. "Why does Simon deliberately reinforce his "not as good as Whitney" opinion?" and "Could Katharine be as good as Whitney?"

On that last point, we think she 'could' be as good as Whitney Houston. 'Could' is not the same as 'is', but it allows the possibility, and in our view Katharine has plenty of possibility. Katherine performed really well tonight, yet sadly not an ounce of her potential was recognized. To her credit she keeps on smiling, even when Ryan announces "...for those who don't have their volume on I'm sure you're gonna get plenty of votes"! We imagine Ryan intends this as a snipe at the judges negativity, but Katharine is probably wondering if he is having a pop at the performance too!

Panel-Bites:

Ryan Seacrest:  (Introduction) ...and Andrea will be here tomorrow night singing live... but starting us off tonight, it is Kat! Let's see how it went with Andrea and David. Watch...

Intro clip...

Katharine: (To camera) I'm singing "I Have Nothing". It was made famous by Whitney Houston and it was actually written by David Foster.

David Foster: (In rehearsals alongside Andrea and Katharine) You know I... I wrote this song Andrea.

Andrea Bocelli: Who?

David: Me.

Andrea: Really?

Katharine: You wrote it.

Andrea: Wow!

Katharine: (To camera) Going in there I was, I was really nervous.

Katharine: (Singing for Andrea and David in rehearsals) ¯ Don't make me close one more door ¯

Katharine: (To camera) It was a lot of pressure for me.

David: In the key change you could go... (Changes the phrasing, Andrea hums) ¯ Don't make me ¯ Close ¯ One more door ¯

Katharine: Oh, that's good.

David: I mean, if...

Katharine: Okay.

David: ...if you nail that...

Katharine: Okay.

David: Can we try that?

Katharine: (To camera) It kind of felt like how it would be in a recording studio.

David and Katharine: (Rehearsals) ¯ Don't make me me ¯ Close ¯ One More Door ¯

David: (To camera) I think Katharine has a great, great future.

Andrea: (To Andrea in rehearsals) Honestly the voice is very beautiful.

Katharine: Oh, thank you.

Andrea: Powerful and clean.

Katharine: Cool!

David: Could... could she sing opera do you think?

Andrea: Ah, probably, yes! Stunning, yah.

Katharine: (Bursts into The Prayer/La Preghiera Download 'The Prayer/La Preghiera' at iTunes Check out 'The Prayer/La Preghiera' at Amazon.com, recorded by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion) ¯ La luce che tu dai ¯

Katharine: (To camera, laughing) Andrea and I just started like having this full on duet!

Andrea and Katharine: ¯ Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza ¯

Andrea: (Taps David)

David: Yes?

Andrea: You have to say also that she is nice. Beautiful (laughs) and young! And this... it's important.

David: How do you know all this?

Andrea: Don't worry. (Smiles and taps David)

David: (Laughs heartily)

Andrea: Don't care! (Laughs)

David: (Grinning) Okay.

Katharine sings...

¯ Share my life ¯ Take me for what I am ¯ 'Cause I'll never change ¯ All my colors for you ¯ I don't really need to look ¯ Very much further ¯ I don't wanna have to go ¯ Where you don't follow ¯ I will hold it back again ¯ This passion inside ¯ Can't run from myself ¯ There's nowhere to hide ¯ Don't make me close one more door ¯ I don't wanna hurt anymore ¯ Stay in my arms if you dare ¯ Or must I imagine you there ¯ Don't walk away from me ¯ Oh ¯ I have nothing, nothing, nothing ¯ Don't make me close one more door ¯ I don't wanna hurt anymore ¯ Stay in my arms if you dare ¯ Or must I imagine you there ¯ Don't walk away from me ¯ Oh ¯ Don't walk away from me ¯ Don't you dare ¯ Don't you dare walk a way from me ¯ I have nothing, nothing, nothing ¯ If I don't have you ¯ (Cheers and applause)

Randy Jackson:  Whoa... a'ight. So I was ah... I must say I was a little bit worried about this week, because, you know, great love songs... It was probably a good choice of a song but I honestly think, just keepin' it real... it was way too big for you.

Katharine: (Nods, but shows her disappointment)

Randy Jackson:  This song... I mean all the runs... (Loud groans and boos from the audience) ... You're talkin' about copyin' a song, singin' a song... Whitney Houston in her prime, who's one of the best singers in the known world... That didn't come close baby, I'm sorry.

Katharine: (Pulls a disappointed face, then laughs)

Paula Abdul:  (The audience is still booing as Paula begins) I'm gonna start by saying, as usual, you are stunning.

Katharine: (Smiles) Thank you.

Paula Abdul:  Um, It's really tough in this competition now. It's serious and tough, and I'm gonna try to be a little bit on that, on that side. Um, there were pitch problems. I gotta tell you... Going back to last week when you... when you sang... that was just zoned. When you don't push your vocals, when you are singing in your natural voice and... and you singin' with your false voice an' it's... you don't have to be onstage and oversing 'cause sometimes what happens is you tend to fall a little flat when you hit the power notes. Having said that, this is a tough song to sing. It's very difficult to sing.

Randy Jackson:  Hard, very hard.

Paula Abdul:  You... you are a star. You are born to sing. Watch... (Katharine smiles) ...know what your money is. Your mo... the back pocket... what your, your money is. And your money is your intimate vocal.

Katharine: (Smiles at Paula, bites on her tongue)

Paula Abdul:  That's what I feel. Other than that, you know...

Katharine: Thank you.

Paula Abdul:  ...you are a star.

Katharine: Thank you.

Simon Cowell:  (To Paula) I didn't really understand what you were saying there.

Paula Abdul:  Well, somebody did.

Simon Cowell:  Money? Back-pocket? Don't think she did!

Randy Jackson:  Cowell, you have money in your pocket?

Simon Cowell:  Katharine. Very simple. By choosing that song it is like coming out here and saying "I am as good as Whitney Houston".

Randy Jackson:  Yeah.

Simon Cowell:  You're not.

Katharine: (Smiles, then grimaces)

Simon Cowell:  That was the problem. I also thought it was quite old fashioned and actually quite cabaret. So I think you went backwards there, because if you're gonna sing a song a... like a Whitney song, you've got to be as good!

Randy Jackson:  Yeah. Right.

Simon Cowell:  And what you told us was... you're not! Bad advice. (Boos)

Ryan Seacrest:  (Greets Katharine on stage) Well! Bit of an uncomfortable start to the party.

Katharine: (Indistinct)

Ryan Seacrest:  Ya. Well for those who don't have their volume on I'm sure you're gonna get plenty of votes. Brave moves in that dress rolling around here up on the stage.

Katharine: Thank you.

Ryan Seacrest:  You look beautiful tonight.

Katharine: Thank you Ryan.

Ryan Seacrest:  They're certainly tough this evening. (Ryan gives out the voting numbers) Thank you Katharine.

Katharine: (Smiling) Thank you!

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