American Idol 2008 [SPOILERS Posted After Friday's Show]

Did you vote, Stacey? Did it work?

She told me it didn't.

I only got through once!

SORRY BUT I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL FRIDAY, DAVID WON!!! 

She told me it didn't.

I only got through once!

I'm not sure why.  But as soon as I tried it, it said I didn't have permission to call that number.

Oh well.

I'm not sure why.  But as soon as I tried it, it said I didn't have permission to call that number.

Oh well.

Maybe it wouldn't accept an IP outside of the US?  But, I suppose it doesn't really matter...

Maybe it wouldn't accept an IP outside of the US?  But, I suppose it doesn't really matter...

Not anymore!

I think you could be right though.

Boo!

All I can say is that I actually really liked this season... aside from Castro... but OMG.... I am so so so so so so happy with the outcome!!   YEAH!

But Jason's so pretty   (I did like him most of the time though, pretty aside)

WOW!!!!!

OK, I knew who won since Thursday, I still cried anyway. 

I really enjoyed the final.  And, I'll say it, the Davids harmonize really well together IMO.

I have to say that last night was the first time I saw what the attraction is with David A.  I thought he sang really well.  I still think any personality has been sucked out of him by pushing parents.
And I don't care what any of you nay-sayers say! I still LOVE Jason.

I still love Jason too. And I thought Halleluja sounded even better this time around.

I really, really enjoyed the whole final - well, I could have done without a couple of performances but in general I thought it was great.

I also knew who won but didn't stop me from getting a little bleary eyed too, Stace! 

WOW!!!!!

OK, I knew who won since Thursday, I still cried anyway. 

I really enjoyed the final.  And, I'll say it, the Davids harmonize really well together IMO.

I was teary because David C. was so emotional.  Although I was hoping Cook would win, I felt like Simon did, they are both two very nice and talented guys so would have been happy either way.  I also thought the harmonized really well together.  And I hope that David A. makes it really big and cuts his father out.  If it's true, what I heard on the radio was that his dad was mad at him for not winning.   

I have to say that last night was the first time I saw what the attraction is with David A.

NOOOOOOO!
But I suppose I'll let that slide because you stood by our Jason through the whole thing.

I'm not ashamed to say I got a bit misty when the winner was announced, especially when I saw his reaction.  Then I did a happy dance.

Anyone else want to go to the Idol tour just to see Michael and Carly do another duet?  Wow!

WEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! He won!!!!!!! *Gina spins around in her chair and gets dizzy*    I taped it and so far have watched the result part twice. 

Yes I thought the 2 Davids sang extremely well together, especially since they both have such different singing styles. I thought Carly and Michael were an awesome pairing. I raved about Amanda for awhile, and you know what? She sucked. She looked so out of place in those song/dance routines with the others. Especially singing Donna Summer! She didn't look happy at all. I enjoyed Brooke and Graham Nash, but I love CS&N and "Teach Your Children" is one of my favorite songs. She wasn't exactly stunning on the song, but I still enjoyed it.

What was Carrie Underwood wearing? 

I honestly do think that David A is extremely talented. I hope he does really really well. Pity about his dad!! Maybe that affected votes? Who knows.

OK, so they didn't choose MY song as the winning song. I wasn't even a finalist, hahaha. Oh well. I actually think the winning song isn't bad. If David A sang it I bet I wouldn't like it. But David C rocks it up and it's cool. I think he's going to be big, big, big. Now, how do we get him to do a tour of the UK?

I raved about Amanda for awhile, and you know what? She sucked. She looked so out of place in those song/dance routines with the others. Especially singing Donna Summer! She didn't look happy at all.

She had no motivation to be there.  She didn't make the top ten, so she's not going on tour.  I think the only reason she showed up was because she was contractually obligated.  It's too bad.  I kinda liked her.

Oh, and Gina?  I liked your song WAY better than the two they chose!  You have to submit another one next year!

Why thank you Abby! You're very kind! Actually, I'd read that most of the top 20 finalists were all well-established songwriters. The exception was a guy named Perry Smith, whose song Syesha Mercado would've sang if she'd ended up in the top 2.

I was pretty bummed when I'd read somewhere that the guy who won, Regie Hamm, was already an established songwriter. But then I read this article, and I'm glad he won (taken from The Tennessean):

Nashville pop singer/songwriter Regie Hamm won the second annual American Idol songwriting competition with his song "Time of My Life."

The song, selected from tens of thousands of entries, was performed by the show's winner, David Cook, Wednesday night and will be released as a single. More than 500,000 people voted for Regie's song when the top 20 finalists were posted online.


"I wanted to make sure the melody was compelling for whoever sang it," he said of the anthem. "Obviously when I wrote it, they were still in the top 11, so I had no idea who would win."

Regie, 40, wrote the song at the urging of his wife Yolanda, who is an Idol fan. "She said, 'Why don't you write a song for this finale song? You could do this,' " Regie said as he was preparing to walk the Idol red carpet in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon.

"I said, 'You know what? I think I will.' I had this chorus rolling through my head and I worked on that over the weekend. On Monday I spent four hours finishing the song. I recorded it that week and turned it in (by the deadline) that Friday."

Just as Wednesday's coronation of a new American Idol will change the winner's life, Regie says his victory is also life-changing.

Although he has been writing songs for 30 years, the last five years have been difficult professionally. He has largely been a stay-at-home dad because their daughter, Isabella, has Angelman Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes severe developmental delays. His wife works at Starbucks, which offers health insurance, and the couple also has a son, Gabe, 19 months.

"It's given me a shot in the arms in terms of refocusing me to go for some things," Regie said. "The last five years have been pretty difficult for me. I've learned to hear the word no and accept it. This gives me a new little recharge in realizing that the answer might not always be no. Sometimes it's yes."

Today he is releasing a five-song digital EP, Starlight, at www.regiehamm.com, and it will be available on iTunes shortly thereafter. He is finishing the full album now.