# American Idol (Top 4) - 05/09/2012



## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Who were _YOUR_ favorites tonight?

~Alan


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

I voted for the two "J's". I thought it was a pretty even night going into the last two performances, but they both deserved the standing O's they got from the judges, IMHO. 

Especially Jessica. I have no doubt we saw what impressed Jimmy so much in the practice session. That could have been the performance of the season... by anyone.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

*My thoughts:*

ROUND #1

*PHILLIP* I thought he did an admirable job... I think CCR is right in his wheelhouse... I was kind of surprised that Skylar did them over Phillip last week, and I thought he did very well with them tonight.

*HOLLIE* I thought she did awesome! VERY GOOD!!

*JOSHUA* Vocally, I enjoyed it, but it was such a different style from the original that it fell a little flat to me.

*JESSICA:* AWESOME JOB!!

*SOLO WINNERS:* Jessica, Hollie, & Phillip

DUETS

*JOSHUA & PHILLIP:* I LOVED this! Very good song choice from the two of them! I still can't help but hear Sara Evans tell Adam Levine "This song is dirty" every time I hear it though... LOL!!

*HOLLIE & JESSICA:* To quote a favorite quote of Randy's, "It was just ahright to me". I loved the swings, but the song was a little odd...

*DUET WINNERS:* Joshua & Phillip

ROUND #2

*PHILLIP* I don't know the song to my knowledge, but I REALLY enjoyed it. One of my favorites by him...

*HOLLIE:* Emotionally, I thought she was feeling it, but I didn't care for the arrangement. Had they slowed the song down, I think she would have done a VERY good job with it, but I don't think it worked like she needed it to...

*JOSHUA:*  I thought he did an AMAZING job, but I was somewhat let down by it. I think it had to do with the fact that I saw Juliet Simms do SUCH AN AMAZING JOB of it on "The Voice", and I really kind of preferred her version of it.

*JESSICA:* UN-FREAKING-BELIEVEABLE!!! 

*FAVORITES OF THE NIGHT:* Jessica & Phillip
*WORST OF THE NIGHT:* Joshua (Round #1) & Hollie (Round #2)
*BOTTOM TWO PREDICTION:* Hollie and ??????
*WHO'S GOING HOME?:* Hollie 

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

I have to admit... I'm a little afraid for Jessica tomorrow night!

Singing a song like "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" on a competition is DANGEROUS territory...

Hopefully, it won't hit people wrong!

~Alan


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

I think Jessica is in jeopardy from last night.

Her first song bombed, her participation in the duet was very weak and dragged it down while Hollie was solid in it, and the only thing that was positive all night for Jessica was the last song (which she over-sang somewhat). Not a good night for her.

I suspect the 2 girls will be in the bottom, and Jessica may possibly be a surprise departure. The fact that the judges used their save on her is still puzzling. She's amazing for 16 at times...but not ready for prime time. Hollie is still borderline, although she had a much better overall night than Jessica.

Phillip was Phillip. Take it or leave it.

Joshua was Joshua. Also take it or leave it.

The common thing about the 2 guys is that they are both "niche" singers for the most part. They will likely have a loyal audience in those genre areas going forward, but they're not versatile enough to expand beyond that.

Joshua could be another Rueben - winning it all, but not successful later in terms of selling his music.


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

_Jessica or Joshua_ should win this.

You guys go ahead and fantacize a win by anyone else. :sure:


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> I think Jessica is in jeopardy from last night.
> 
> Her first song bombed, her participation in the duet was very weak and dragged it down while Hollie was solid in it, and the only thing that was positive all night for Jessica was the last song (which she over-sang somewhat). Not a good night for her.
> 
> I suspect the 2 girls will be in the bottom, and Jessica may possibly be a surprise departure. The fact that the judges used their save on her is still puzzling. She's amazing for 16 at times...but not ready for prime time. Hollie is still borderline, although she had a much better overall night than Jessica.


:eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2:

WOW!!! Everybody I talked to last night felt that Jessica and Phillip won the night... even someone I know who's not the biggest fan of Jessica said that they LOVED her second song. Pretty much everyone I know felt that it should be Hollie's time to go... aside from the few people who really don't like Joshua of course.

Why you wonder why the judges used their save on her is mind-blowing puzzling... they would have been CRAZY had they not! Pretty much everyone I've talked to locally who are cheering on Phillip thinks that Jessica SHOULD win...

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Last week, DialIdol had Skyler Laine being the only contestant safe, with the rest too close to call, but Phillip at the very bottom by a fairly considerable margin, so we obviously know they were not to be trusted that week after getting it right two weeks in a row. This week:


*Jessica Sanchez*
*Hollie Cavanagh*
*Phillip Phillips*
*Joshua Ledet*

This week, Jessica is marked as "SAFE" by a large margin, but the rest are too close to call. Hollie and Phillip are almost tied, and Joshua's sitting at the bottom by himself.

Prior to the voting on the West Coast, Hollie was at the top, Phillip was in second place, and Jessica was in third place behind Joshua who remained stationary all night.

~Alan


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Alan Gordon said:


> WOW!!! Everybody I talked to last night felt that Jessica and Phillip won the night... even someone I know who's not the biggest fan of Jessica said that they LOVED her second song. Pretty much everyone I've talked to locally who are cheering on Phillip thinks that Jessica SHOULD win...


You must chill with a different crowd... :lol:

Actually, I had said earlier Phillip was himself - that's not a bad thing...and Jessica was good on her 2nd song as well. However, until then...she was a disappointment for the night. A few judges even commented on that for what that's worth.


Alan Gordon said:


> Last week, DialIdol had Skyler Laine being the only contestant safe, with the rest too close to call, but Phillip at the very bottom by a fairly considerable margin, so we obviously know they were not to be trusted that week after getting it right two weeks in a row. This week:
> 
> 
> *Jessica Sanchez*
> ...


I could live with those results, but highly doubt that's the way it will turn out. I bet the list is upside down.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> You must chill with a different crowd... :lol:


Thankfully... 



hdtvfan0001 said:


> Actually, I had said earlier Phillip was himself - that's not a bad thing...and Jessica was good on her 2nd song as well. However, until then...she was a disappointment for the night. A few judges even commented on that for what that's worth.


I don't remember the judges criticizing her first performance... only her duet with Hollie in which Hollie took some criticism herself.

~Alan


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Alan Gordon said:


> Thankfully...


Yeah...my posse doesn't eat beer and pretzels for breakfast. 


> I don't remember the judges criticizing her first performance... only her duet with Hollie in which Hollie took some criticism herself.


They commented not so much as criticism as just unimpressed. On the duet...Jessica came across as an absentee participant (like she wanted to get it over with)...dragging them both down in the process.

I forecast a surprise last week, but expect much less of a surprise this week. I still suspect your posted list may be inverted. If Jessica goes, I would not really be that surprised.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Yeah...my posse doesn't eat beer and pretzels for breakfast.


While I know many people who do, I don't really hang out with them. Besides, they would be cheering on Phillip and Hollie for obvious reasons... 

No... my point was, while the people I hang around with and talk to about AI have different tastes, they all seem to pretty much be on the same page when it comes to the contestants remaining. Joshua is the only one left in which there is a great divide in opinion.



hdtvfan0001 said:


> They commented not so much as criticism as just unimpressed. On the duet...Jessica came across as an absentee participant (like she wanted to get it over with)...dragging them both down in the process.


I don't think it was the best song choice for her, but I thought it showed a different side of her vocally. I disagreed with the duet... to me they came off as equals... and I don't mean that as a compliment!



hdtvfan0001 said:


> I forecast a surprise last week, but expect much less of a surprise this week. I still suspect your posted list may be inverted. If Jessica goes, I would not really be that surprised.


I put up above that I'm concerned about her this week, but I'd still be shocked if she went, though I wouldn't be TOO surprised given that's she already been eliminated once. Nah... everyone I know is expecting Hollie, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Joshua go before tonight.

~Alan


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Alan Gordon said:


> While I know many people who do, I don't really hang out with them. Besides, they would be cheering on Phillip and Hollie for obvious reasons...


Phillip yes, Hollie no way. 

Which is OK too...some call that breakfast of champions. 

I have yet to find a single person who likes Joshua's "singing". Other than him, the test of the crowd has a mixed bag of favorites pretty much like your group.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

A couple of comments I wanted to make:

*PHILLIP:* I thought it was COOL to see Phillip wearing a House of China II T-Shirt last night. While I've heard good things about a newer Chinese restaurant in Albany, House of China II is my favorite Chinese restaurant I've ever eaten in. However, what REALLY got my attention was when Ryan and Phillip were talking about El Maya's on Old Dawson Road. While I've eaten at San Joe's more than El Maya (SJ has a Dawson restaurant), I've eaten at El Maya on several occasions, and my mouth just dropped when Ryan started talking about the Speedy Gonzales. *That being said*... while I think El Maya serves some EXCELLENT food, I have to say, I'm a little surprised that one would be in Los Angeles and missing Mexican food from Albany, GA?! 

*JOSHUA:* Really?! You miss the humidity?! I've always been jealous of people who live where the humidity isn't so high, and you miss it!!!

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Phillip yes, Hollie no way.


I was referring to the similarities that Phillip and Hollie share... so yeah, of the individuals I was talking about, their favorites would be THOSE two individuals! 



hdtvfan0001 said:


> I have yet to find a single person who likes Joshua's "singing". Other than him, the test of the crowd has a mixed bag of favorites pretty much like your group.


I know several... I was disappointed in him last night. As I stated, his performance of the JB song fell flat after hearing Juliet Simms perform it on "The Voice" last week. I spoke to several who felt the same way, though my Mom actually preferred Joshua's, so everybody has a difference of opinion. I thought he did great with it, but I was disappointed due to the comparison.

As for my group, Jessica is pretty much the only consensus... some thinks Phillip should be the runner-up, others think Joshua.

~Alan


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Alan Gordon said:


> I know several... I was disappointed in him last night. As I stated, his performance of the JB song fell flat after hearing Juliet Simms perform it on "The Voice" last week. I spoke to several who felt the same way, though my Mom actually preferred Joshua's, so everybody has a difference of opinion. I thought he did great with it, but I was disappointed due to the comparison.


He seems to be one of those "really like him or really don't like him" performers. I'd agree that there is disparity in the others in terms of support...so tonight should be "interesting".


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

'American Idol': Phillip Phillips needs surgery but will be back in time for tour

At least we know what the deal was (sorta) now...

~Alan


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Alan Gordon said:


> 'American Idol': Phillip Phillips needs surgery but will be back in time for tour
> 
> At least we know what the deal was (sorta) now...
> 
> ~Alan


WOW - that's unfortunate for sure...he did look like he was trying hard just to make it though the show at times. We'll pray for him - it's serious business.

Perhaps that might shift tonight into no elimination until next week, with Phillip basically "withdrawing". That's not something most folks want to see.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> WOW - that's unfortunate for sure...he did look like he was trying hard just to make it though the show at times. We'll pray for him - it's serious business.
> 
> Perhaps that might shift tonight into no elimination until next week, with Phillip basically "withdrawing". That's not something most folks want to see.


No... he's having surgery AFTER the finale...

I mentioned something about his health the other day:



Alan Gordon said:


> On a related note, I was just told two rumors about Phillip. I don't know how truthful they are... the gossip machine isn't always reliable, but they were interesting nonetheless.
> 
> I'll keep the second one to myself until Thursday at the earliest, but the second rumor is that Jimmy was in no way fooling about Phillip's health status... and that he has a lot of friends and family concerned about his health right now. :eek2:


~Alan


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> *I think Jessica is in jeopardy from last night.*
> 
> Her first song bombed, her participation in the duet was very weak and dragged it down while Hollie was solid in it, and the only thing that was positive all night for Jessica was the last song (which she over-sang somewhat). *Not a good night for her*.
> 
> ...


:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: - you're joking, right?


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Henry said:


> :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: - you're joking, right?


Not even close to joking.

People laughed when I said there was going to be a big surprise last week and poof...Skylar was gone.

Ya never know...anyone could go.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Spoiler



Ugggghhhhh A double whammy ... my favorite gets the boot and the guy I can't stand advances. Hollie got shafted. Enjoy your luck Phillip.


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Not even close to joking.
> 
> People laughed when I said there was going to be a big surprise last week and poof...*Skylar was gone*.
> 
> Ya never know...anyone could go.


Thing is, Skylar's elimination was not a surprise.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Henry said:


> Thing is, Skylar's elimination was not a surprise.


To many people it was..including 2 of the 3 judges who were interviewed after the show.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Henry said:
> 
> 
> > Thing is, Skylar's elimination was not a surprise.
> ...


Randy predicted her in the Top 3...

She was my least favorite of the contestants when she went home, but I've been sad by every elimination since the Top 7.

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Well... no big surprises tonight, and it appears that the final three are pretty much who I expected them to be.

Next week... I don't think anybody's safe!

~Alan


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Alan Gordon said:


> Randy predicted her in the Top 3...
> 
> She was my least favorite of the contestants when she went home, but I've been sad by every elimination since the Top 7.


It's a tougher year this season with some stronger competition for sure.


Alan Gordon said:


> Well... no big surprises tonight, and it appears that the final three are pretty much who I expected them to be.
> 
> Next week... I don't think anybody's safe!


I was glad to see Phillip there looking much better than the previous night.


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

[Our wishes and prayers go to _Phillip_.]

You're right _Alen_, going forward will be a rollercoaster ride for some of us. I still think _J-_or-_J_ will be the number one and two pair, but as the _Phillip_ health issue gets wider coverage, who knows?

_Hollie's_ elimination was no surprise. It was a given in our living room that she was going home. We really like her ... but the truth is that she doesn't have the stage presence the other three enjoy. Had she survived the vote, it would have been a "Pia Moment".

As _hdtvfan0001_ says, this season has seen a lot of talent and it has made for a tough competition.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> I was glad to see Phillip there looking much better than the previous night.


I thought he looked pretty good both nights... far superior to last week. He looked like he had NO energy at all then...

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Henry said:


> You're right _Alen_, going forward will be a rollercoaster ride for some of us. I still think _J-_or-_J_ will be the number one and two pair, but as the _Phillip_ health issue gets wider coverage, who knows?


Randy has predicted Phillip and Joshua for the final two... which is a change considering he previously didn't think Joshua would make the final three when Skylar was still in the competition. His reasoning for thinking Jessica might not make it to the final two was because she was already saved from elimination.

Personally... if only one of the J's make it, I'd expect it to be Jessica, but you never know....



Henry said:


> _Hollie's_ elimination was no surprise. It was a given in our living room that she was going home. We really like her ... but the truth is that she doesn't have the stage presence the other three enjoy. Had she survived the vote, it would have been a "Pia Moment".


I'm not sure I would call Phillip at this point a "Pia Moment", but the two J's... sure!

She struggled a lot, but she was getting better. I was tearing up watching her watch her video... prior to her smiling anyway.

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

For her fans:

'American Idol': Hollie Cavanagh on her elimination - 'I just kind of knew'

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Lee County will be proclaiming tomorrow Phillip Phillips day (that happens to the Top 3 every year of course)...

State Representative Ed Rynders will be presenting Phillip with a similar proclamation from Governor Deal (I believe he's still Governor anyway... LOL!!). Shame the recently retired Bob Hanner couldn't have done it... that would have been COOL!! 

He'll be arriving tonight at 10:00 EDT...

According to the Chamber of Commerce, people from all over the state and country have been calling about attending and 20,000 to 25,000 people are expected tomorrow!

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Jennifer Lopez is in Albany... guess we know who is going to pick Phillip's song this coming week...

Ironic considering the guy who co-wrote "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" is from Albany...

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Alan Gordon said:


> Jennifer Lopez is in Albany... guess we know who is going to pick Phillip's song this coming week...


Just a rumor apparently...

The parade and concert was two hours late...

I'll post pictures later on! 

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

I'll have more to talk about later... I'm EXHAUSTED!!!


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

OK...

So... while Phillip was expected to arrive at the Albany airport at 10:00 on Friday night, he was actually several hours earlier. Around 300 or so folks were there... a good portion of them girls/women... most of whom professed their love or proposed marriage on their signs. He did a TV spot with WFXL FOX 31, and then signed autographs for hours. During his interview, he confirmed he's never had a parade before... this was indeed the first PP parade, and stated that he didn't know what to expect as everyone in the competition is SO different in their styles...

That night, rumors spread around town that J.Lo was in town as well and rented out the WHOLE Hilton hotel, but other rumors started floating around town from people who stated they spotted Steven Tyler, and the news even mentioned Randy Jackson. Apparently, this was all rumors because none were present at the concert where they were expected to be...

The Lee County Chamber of Commerce and others were getting calls from Texas, Maryland, etc. about coming, and the estimates being thrown around were between 20,000 to 30,000 folks. El Maya (that Phillip and Ryan spoke about last week) was being inundated with calls asking for reservations for Saturday in case Phillip showed up even though El Maya doesn't do reservations...

I went with my Mom and Uncle (my Aunt didn't want to deal with the crowds, and my Cousin who would have liked to have been there was at the lake with her kids and husband). We left the house around 1:15 P.M. to get an early start on the parade which was supposed to start at 2:00. We turned on this one street headed to the High School and it was backed up with cars, so we parked... though we later found there were multiple places to park closer up... oh well! We found a spot near the first entrance to the high school and met a nice lady who let us lean on her car... which was fantastic given the long wait ahead of us.

Phillip's morning was busy... starting with a radio interview at Cumulus broadcasting, a trip to his father's pawn store, a private concert at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital for the sick children, and a trip to El Maya restaurant of course.

I've heard different rumors as to WHY the parade/concert was so late, including Phillip's schedule forcing things to be pushed back, and one politician at the concert commented on it being HIS fault, though I think that was a joke... but the reason given on the local news was that it had to do with AI's schedule...

Around 4:12, the parade started, though I think it was shortened from it's earlier planned length. Given the crowds and all, I was shocked that we were so close to the car with him coming through... so as the car was passing me, I followed him and the car as it continued it's trek into the driveway to the ball field. I was armed with my Samsung Fascinate which doesn't have the BEST camera compared to some phones, but makes a pretty decent picture when you don't use the zoom. It also doesn't have the best reaction time between shots, and for some reason it was acting up worse than usual, which coupled with watching where I was going, and the occasional person's head popping in the way, I missed out on a lot of photos I COULD have gotten. I managed to get a few decent shots of him though.

Being so extremely close to the car, I managed to have a little interaction with Phillip. I almost thought he was going to shake my hand, but between the Sheriff (or deputy) walking beside me and his father beside him in the car, I was hesitant to put my arm up, and I think he thought better of it too, so we exchanged a smile and a head nod. I'm not one of these people that get into the "famous" thing. To me, celebrities are just people doing a job, but I must admit that I still found it VERY cool to have this exchange with someone who I watch weekly on TV, and is such a topic of discussion at home and at work these past few months, as well as on here.

The car went into a driveway to the stage and was locked, so I met up with my family who was with me in the field. It wasn't super close to the stage, but it was dead center, so we had a fair view of the stage.

People did sound checks on stage, and started getting ready for the concert... some good music on the radio, but after the long wait, it seemed like forever. This guy came on stage and was trying to get people to back up from the stage as they were too close and he wanted them to give more room to the handicapped people up front in wheelchairs. He stated that this was going to be on national television and he wanted everybody to get a positive rolleyes vision of the Leesburg, GA and the South in general. He kept telling people to back up three or four times every couple of minutes, and finally a cop or sherriff's deputy must have been directing people, because he mentioned something about listening this time because the man down there had a gun. A statement that prompted a man standing next to us bring up the fact that probably at least 50 of the people in the front had one as well (!rolling). Later I saw a picture and noticed it was mainly young girls, so possibly only 25 or so had guns... LOL!!  

Finally, Phillip took the stage! He thanked everybody, told them how overwhelmed he was, etc. A local music store owner gave Phillip a new guitar on behalf of them and Yamaha. Phillip gave his brother-in-law Ben a ticket to the finale for encouraging his music. It being an election year, and the crowd already being inundated with the Sheriff's campaign signs and reminders that he's up for election, we then began the politicos making their rounds. The Leesburg mayor presenting Phillip with the key to the city, proclaiming it Phillip Phillips day, his own sign (Lee County already has signs proclaiming them the home of Luke Bryan and Buster Posey... some people have been adding cardboard signs with Phillip's name on them to those). Then came State Rep. Ed Rynders (who joked he was the reason the parade/concert was late) who stated the Governor proclaimed it Phillip Phillips Day in Georgia. Then came Congressman Sanford Bishop who presented him a plaque and bragged on him. I could have some of the order mixed up, but you get the picture...

He performed "Superstition", "Still Rainin'", "Nice And Slow", "Thriller", "Volcano", and "Along The Watchtower."

His sisters performed harmonies for one song, and his brothers-in-law were two of his band members. His brother-in-law Ben was of course performing with him on AI recently. There were three other members of the band... and while they were all good, I have to give MAJOR props to the guy playing the saxophone. I've never seen a saxophone performed live, but I still have to say, he was FANTASTIC!! I heard/read other people who said the same... definitely impressive! Those who believe he's a DMB copycat will probably get a kick out of him singing it as DMB does it in concert. Apparently, Phillip's band wanted to play it...

*A couple of comments on his performances: *


I saw a different side of Phillip during the concert. I think he comes off superior in concert than he does on AI... I know others who felt the same way. I've seen several concerts in my day (Kinchafoonee Cowboys/Lee Roy Parnell/Billy Ray Cyrus, Pam Tillis/Alan Jackson, and Tim McGraw/Diamond Rio/Sawyer Brown) and he held his own with the best of them.
I heard a different side of Phillip during the concert as well. There were layers to his voice that surprised me. I've repeatedly stated for weeks that he is the weakest vocally. That hasn't changed, but I (and others) had our opinions changed of his vocal prowess. He's better than we gave him credit for...

The show is now over... or is it? Turns out, one of the presentation scenes at the beginning needed to be re-filmed... so everybody act surprised... LOL!!

The news had footage later with three people from Louisiana who drove for the homecoming. One of the two younger girls stated that she was the love of Phillips life, he just didn't know it yet, or he was the love of her life and he didn't know it yet. Either way, his girlfriend of three years probably disagrees...  Personally, I saw license plates from Illinois and Ohio among other closer states. They interviewed some more of his family on TV as well... including his cousin who came down from Tennessee who stated that all the girls in her dorm have Phillip pictures hanging on their walls.

I've heard varying numbers about the amount of people there. Somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 is the number most agree on. I know many people who didn't want to go due to the crowd. Sadly, due to the lateness of the parade, some people had to leave early, so the numbers dwindled as the day went on. The schedule should have been handled better... 

Phillip left Albany around 10:00 that night...

*A couple of parting comments:*

It was a good crowd! Aside from one teen girl with a foul mouth who was with two fellow teen boys who were possibly trying to make a political statement, one possibly drunk boy, and one pervy old man (who I'll get back to in a minute) of course! Nothing's ever perfect!  While girls/women were the definite majority, there was a GOOD gender mix, a good age mix, and surprisingly for this area which is very segregated in many ways, a fairly decent racial mix. VERY NICE... 
It's possible I misjudged the guy and he was with the media (or even an individual) trying to get a shot of the crowd's excitement... which this girl was a prime example of, but I don't buy it. There was a young girl... I estimate around 18-19 myself... very attractive girl for sure. She was holding a sign for Phillip and jumping up and down when this guy walks by her holding his cell phone up as he's walking by her... as soon as he passes her, he stops holding his cell phone up. 
Which led me to my next comment. I knew that a P2 concert would have a lot of young girls screaming over Phillip... but shame on a couple of parents for letting their daughters dress like that in public.

*For a small portion of the parade route, and as Phillip's car was headed into the school, I was either on the sidelines or right beside the car, and the cameraman had the camera aimed on my area (and me) multiple times, so unless I get cut in the editing room, I may VERY well be on the show Wednesday or Thursday night. As an aside, I hope the two guys who ran behind Phillips' car and screamed they were his cousin do NOT make it on the show, the boy who was mocking the girls screaming and proposals by making a proposal himself makes it on the show, and that above all else, I don't look like a complete fool if I do make it on the show...* 

I'll add a couple more pictures later when I get off work...

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Alan Gordon said:


> I've heard different rumors as to WHY the parade/concert was so late, including Phillip's schedule forcing things to be pushed back, and one politician at the concert commented on it being HIS fault, though I think that was a joke... but the reason given on the local news was that it had to do with AI's schedule...


Phillip's sister Ladonna stated again in an interview today that the hang-up was indeed AI.



Alan Gordon said:


> I've heard varying numbers about the amount of people there. Somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 is the number most agree on. I know many people who didn't want to go due to the crowd. Sadly, due to the lateness of the parade, some people had to leave early, so the numbers dwindled as the day went on. The schedule should have been handled better...


The official estimate is indeed between 15,000 and 20,000... but falling on the low end of the estimate.

It was estimated to have brought in over $500,000.00 in revenue for the city of Albany and Lee County.

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Alan Gordon said:


> [...]Around 4:12, the parade started, though I think it was shortened from it's earlier planned length. Given the crowds and all, I was shocked that we were so close to the car with him coming through... so as the car was passing me, I followed him and the car as it continued it's trek into the driveway to the ball field. I was armed with my Samsung Fascinate which doesn't have the BEST camera compared to some phones, but makes a pretty decent picture when you don't use the zoom. It also doesn't have the best reaction time between shots, and for some reason it was acting up worse than usual, which coupled with watching where I was going, and the occasional person's head popping in the way, I missed out on a lot of photos I COULD have gotten. I managed to get a few decent shots of him though. [...]
> 
> [...]I'll add a couple more pictures later when I get off work... [...]


                 ​


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

​
Better late than never... 

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Set list revealed....



Spoiler



"Imagine" - John Lennon
"My All" - Mariah Carey
"No More Drama" - Mary J. Blige
"We've Got Tonight" - Bob Seger
"I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" - Aerosmith
"Beggin'" - Madcon
"I'll Be There" - Jackson 5
"Disease" - Matchbox 20
"I'd Rather Go Blind" - Etta James



~Alan


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