For "American Idol" fans, the good news is that things are finally getting serious. The 12 guys sing tonight (Tuesday), the 12 women sing Wednesday, then four of them will be gone Thursday -- in a results show that includes songs by Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta.
The better news? Idealism still soars at "Idol."
Last year's group soared with high ideals, including three guys -- Allen, Danny Gokey and Michael Sarver -- who were church music leaders. As the champion, Allen now gets to practice that on a larger scale: He used to go on anonymous missions; now he'll be showing his brief Haiti trip to millions.
Here's a story I sent to papers about that. I don't usually include my feature stories in the blog spot, but I make an exception for anything involving "Idol," a big deal in the blog world. Here we go:
Long before his “American Idol”
fame, Kris Allen was used to sobering sights.
One church mission took him to Thailand
after the tsunami; another went to AIDS-ravaged South Africa. So
Allen – who returns to “Idol” Thursday – was semi-prepared
for his recent trip to Haiti.
“It's insane how much destruction was
caused” by the earthquakes, Allen told reporters Monday.
Still, he also saw optimism there, just
as he had in other places. “It's the smile on the people's faces ….
You could tell things are going to be a lot better.”
Now he'll be on “Idol,” showing
film of his trip and singing “Let It Be.” That's part a
mini-fundraiser; viewers can buy the song and can send donations to
the United Nations Foundation.
There is much to do, said Kathy Calvin,
CEO of the foundation. “The UN is there for the long haul.” So
far, she said, an outbreak of water-borne disease has been averted.
The crisis will come soon, during the rainy season.
Still, she sees optimism. “Everyone
is working together … If anything, people have kept their cool.”
That's the common reaction to crisis,
Allen said. When he was a church music leader in Alabama, he went
with others on international mission trips. “It's an innate human
trait, to want to help.”
Now, as the “Idol” winner, he can
have more impact in less time. He was only in Haiti for 10 hours, on
Friday. There, he handed out food, talked to kids, sang “Amazing
Grace” in a tent full of women and children.
Many people are in tents or less,
Calvin said. “No one's staying in a home right now.”
And the optimism persists, Allen said.
“You can see the hope in the kids' eyes …. One little kid had
wrapped a rubber band around a Coke bottle and was making music and
singing to me.”
– “American Idol”
– 8-9 p.m. Thursday, Fox
– Kris Allen sings “Let It Be”
and shows footage from his brief Haiti trip; also, Allison Iraheta –
who finished fourth last season – sings “Scars.”
– Two men and two women will be
eliminated. That follows two nights – women Tuesday, men Wednesday
– in which 12 people performed songs from the current Billboard Hot
100.