Celebrity Duets, September 28th – And the Winner Is ... All of Them
The celebs all realize what this show has come to mean to them.
It's not the top three that we expected on Celebrity Duets, yet nonetheless, here we are waiting for the results. I'm not only curious as to whether the winner is Alfonso Ribeiro, Lucy Lawless, or Hal Sparks, but also to find what type of entertainment we'll be provided with for this finale. They certainly won't be able to top the American Idol finale this year, as that was just ... over the top ... and they had the advertising dollars up the wazoo for that.
Wayne Brady greets us wearing a self-described sparkly vest. He tells us that this finale will include the first ever solos by the finalists, two of music's biggest superstars appearing in a duet of their own, and Boyz II Men. Wayne believes a whole lot of babies have been conceived to Boyz II Men, and jokes that his first born is named End of the Road Brady. Well, he could have at least chosen a song with a more appropriate title, like Uhh Ahh.
All eight of the celebrities are back tonight and they do a little 50s medley, starting with Rock Around the Clock, moving into The Twist, and finishing up with the "architect of rock and roll," Little Richard on the piano, singing Good Golly Miss Molly. The eight celebrities dance around the piano and there also some other unknown dancers. If I'm not mistaken, it looks like one of the dancers is doing the Time Warp dance from Rocky Horror Picture Show. I'm a little concerned for Little Richard after the song, as he is either trying to catch his breath, or saying "thank you" over and over and over. Possibly both. Maybe his toe is just shooting up in his booth. I'm not sure.
Wayne asks the judges if they have changed their mind about who they think will win tonight. Marie hasn't changed her mind. She predicted Alfonso, and she sticks by it, saying he's delivered vocally. Lucy's earned her place at the table, yet Hal shook the roof off the place as well, but she still thinks it will be Alfonso. Little Richard asks Wayne to repeat the question, and when reminded that he predicted Hal last night, he says yes, that 's right. He loves Alfonso and would love to see him win, but he thinks the country is going to vote for rock and roll. David Foster would also love to see Alfonso win, but just to change it up, he's going to go with Lucy.
Hal believes he has learned a lot about singing, his fellow competitors, and himself. He has a distinct singing style and has chosen to won that, staying true to who he is as a performer. Wynonna, one of his past duet partners, says Hall is really comfortable with who he is. He says he's not trying to be a rock star; he's just trying to be himself. He had no idea at the beginning of this how close everyone would grow with each other. Along with learning so much, he's worked with singers that most others never get to have duets with, and it can never be taken away from him.
As Hal sings his solo, Running Away, there's a woman swinging on some weird rope thing. It's just ... odd. I can only think listening to him how much I'd love to see David fulfill his promise of working with him. I'd like to hear Hal's voice without the scream, and with only that rich power and passion behind it. As Wayne tries to reach him when the song is over, Hal fakes "running away."Asked if he is nervous or excited, Hal says both. If he loses, it will be to a great group of people. With him today are his boys, Metal Skool (is this his band?), his parents, and his girlfriend. To meet the judges and get their advice has been invaluable to Hal. He can't say how much he appreciates it, and can only say it means a lot.
Unfortunately Little Richard had to leave early, which only makes me worry about him more. Yet, they do a great tribute to him and his memorable quotes during the show. As they play different clips, they use a split screen, and Wayne is used as interpreter. When Little Richard mentions his toe shooting up in his boot, Wayne interprets it as "Did I mention my orthopedic troubles?"We also get to see that everyone has a Little Richard impression from the contestants to some of the people backstage. It's a great way to honor this particular legend.
Now that we've watched Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight sing duets with the celebrities, they now sing one with each other, Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing. There isn't much to say about this; they're just as great as you would expect any two legends to me. It reminds me of their small beginnings at Motown. I read Barry Gordy's biography a few years back, and watching these two tonight, it's all I can think of, the incredible talent that was amassed from that one tiny studio.
Lucy was very anxious about being on the show, but also very eager for the opportunity. She had no idea who much the experience would end up meaning to her. She says the show has truly been the most fun gig she's ever had, and she just doesn't know how to describe how this doesn't top anything she's done befor. She can't believe the got the chance to meet and sing with some of the greatest ever. Band director Ricky Minor says he is impressed with Lucy's growth, which is probably why she's still there over Jai. He was fantastic, but was since the beginning. There wasn't any room left for growth.
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