American Idol's Crystal Bowersox sings "Piece of My Heart"

American Idol Season 9 contestant Crystal Bowersox sings Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart"

American Idol's Crystal Bowersox sings "The Saddest Song That I Never Wrote"

American Idol Season 9 finalist Crystal Bowersox and Mark Brink perform "The Saddest Song That I Never Wrote" live at Uncommon Ground in Chicago, Feb 23, 2009.

American Idol's Crystal Bowersox Gets a Tattoo of Baby's Name

Since American Idol Season 9 Top 7 front-runner Crystal Bowersox could not be with her infant son during Hollywood Week, she had his name, Anthony, tattooed on her back.

After showing a picture of her gorgeous boy, Crystal states "He's the reason I'm going to be the next American Idol. To give him a better life. He deserves it."

In this video from Hollywood Week, Crystal sings Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman" and proves to the judges, and the world, she deserves to be the next Idol!

Crystal Bowersox sings "Round Here" in the Chicago Subway

American Idol Season 9 finalist Crystal Bowersox sings the Counting Crows' "Round Here". Check out the video of Crystal in the Chicago Subway.

Crystal Bowersox and the American Idol Top 10 sing "It’s My Life" and "My Life Would Suck Without You"

American Idol Season 9 runner-up Crystal Bowersox and the American Idol Top 10 sing Bon Jovi's "It’s My Life" and Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You" on the Idols Live Tour.

Crystal Bowersox and the American Idol Top 10 sing "The Climb" Live!

American Idol Season 9 runner-up Crystal Bowersox and the American Idol Top 10 sing Miley Cyrus' "The Climb" on the Idols Live Tour.

"Piece of My Heart"~ Crystal Bowersox & her musical influences, Janis Joplin & Melissa Etheridge

"Piece of My Heart"~ Crystal Bowersox and her musical influences, Janis Joplin and Melissa Etheridge
by MS Chloe

American Idol Season 9 favorite Crystal Bowersox joins the pantheon of female rock legends singing "Piece of My Heart."

Here are two very different, but equally incredible versions of "Piece of My Heart" sung by Crystal Bowersox and one of her musical influences, Melissa Etheridge. You can hear Janis' legacy in Crystal's and Melissa's performance - a complete abandonment to the music, the moment and the audience. Janis let the women singers who followed her know that it is okay to loose yourself in the song and give your audience everything you've got - no holds barred!

Crystal Bowersox, who's been called "A New Artist With an Old Soul", and Frank May singing "Piece of My Heart" at The Village Idiot in Maumee, Ohio.

Melissa Etheridge, "The Quintessential Lady of Rock and Roll" at The Grammy's Janis Joplin Tribute, with Joss Stone.


Why would Melissa Etheridge be such a huge influence to a young female singer growing up with Type 1 Diabetes? It may just be that wild dash of courage added to her musical brilliance. "In October 2004, Melissa Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the 2005 Grammy Awards, she made a return to the stage and, although bald from chemotherapy, performed a tribute to Janis Joplin with the song "Piece of My Heart". Etheridge was praised for her performance, which was considered one of the highlights of the show. Etheridge's bravery was lauded in song in India.Arie's "I Am Not My Hair."

And why would both Crystal and Melissa count Janis Joplin as an influence? It could be that Janis, known to her friends as "Pearl", was rock and roll's first female superstar, literally the first woman to create a band she would front. "Long before she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, Joplin had become a legend for her musical legacy, influence on popular culture and a persona that captured the spirit of the 1960s. Music journalist Ellen Willis believes “Joplin belonged to that select group of pop figures who mattered as much for themselves as for their music. Among American rock performers, she was second only to Bob Dylan in importance as a creator-recorder-embodiment of her generation’s mythology. She was also the only woman to achieve that kind of stature in what was basically a male club, the only ‘60s culture hero to make visible and public, women’s experience of the quest for liberation, which was very different from mens.”"

SOURCES: Wikipedia, case.edu - "Legacy of Janis Joplin"

Crystal Bowersox ~ In Her Own Words...

Mama Sox Rocks!
By: As told to Lori Berger, Redbook

"Why don't you try out for American Idol?" That's what Crystal Bowersox heard over and over from friends and listeners at her local gigs in Chicago. For years, she resisted. What would the Hollywood glitz machine make of a girl with dreadlocks, imperfect teeth, and a raspy, soulful voice? Then, when she was 22, she found out she was pregnant. As soon as her son, Tony, was born, she wanted more than anything to be able to give him a safe, secure life. So she swallowed her doubts and auditioned for the Idol judges. Here, in her own words, Mama Sox tells us all about the wild journey--almost getting kicked off the show, her breakup the night before the finale, and the thrill of being able to give Tony all he'll ever need.

How music has shaped her life

"I knew from the time I was 6 or 7 that music was something I had to do. Growing up, my parents did everything they knew how to do to support me. My dad was always kinda my roadie; he drove me from gig to gig. But I got my own gigs. I was this 12-year-old kid, shuffling business cards, calling people, telling them I wanted to play.

"When I hit 20, 21, everyone was like, 'Well, what if music doesn't work out?' And I was like, Maybe I should have a backup plan. I was living in Chicago then, and I went to work full-time in a real estate office and went to school full-time at night. Every morning I'd go to the office, answer phone calls, dress up really pretty, and, you know, be somebody I wasn't. I was miserable.

"During the time I worked at that office, I had started dreading my hair. Two weeks after my boss saw them, I was let go for other reasons, but I know it was because of my dreads. But those people really did me a favor. I walked out the door and down the street, and Kingston Mines [a blues club] was hiring. I was a cocktail waitress, but I was in my world and I could be me. And on jam nights, when things weren't busy, I'd get up on stage and sing with different bands. I had the best time, and I felt like I was where I belonged."

On surprise motherhood

"When I found out I was pregnant, I was 22. It was really scary because I was working the music thing, and with a kid coming, you just can't live that life with a child. I was single, I was on my own--but I had a great group of friends who backed me up and helped me through the whole thing. My son, Tony, was healthy when he was born, but he had to be in the hospital because he was a little jaundiced; he was also about three weeks early. I called my dad crying, and I was like, 'How did you do this with three kids?' I was a juvenile diabetic, and I was sick all the time growing up, and in the hospital. I had a completely newfound respect and love for my parents and what they must have gone through. Having a kid makes you appreciate your parents so much more."

Mistakes she won't make

"I had what you could call a chaotic childhood. My parents divorced when I was 2; I went back and forth between my mom's and dad's houses for years.

"But, you know, my parents tried to do the right thing. As crazy as everything was, and as much fighting and everything, there was always a feeling of support from them. They were doing the best they could, and you understand that when you grow up. But I know now, through their example, what things I don't want in my child's life. When I was younger, my mom loved me so much that she didn't know how to handle it when I didn't do the right thing. And her disappointment would come out through anger. But you know what? I don't hold it against her. I'm not mad at her now. But that will never happen with Tony and me. You live and you learn and you come to understand that your parents have their own frustrations and issues that you don't know about or aren't capable of understanding when you're young. Just like now, my son has no idea of what I've just been through for him. But no matter what you're going through as a parent, you don't ever lay that on your kid. Children need to be surrounded by nothing but love, kindness, and support."

Her Ryan Seacrest pep talk

"I went into the Idol audition with no expectations; that's just the kind of person I am. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't hurt so badly, you know? But once I made it past the first round, and the second, and third -- I started to realize, Maybe my goals and dreams really are attainable. It was hard during Idol because there were times when I didn't even get to see Tony awake. Toward the end of the show, [my ex-boyfriend] big Tony and little Tony were living with me. I'd wake up early to leave for rehearsals, and my son would be sleeping. Then sometimes I wouldn't get home until 10 to 15 hours later, and he'd already be in bed. It was hard, and I did go talk to Ryan [Seacrest] at one point because he works 24/7 and I knew he would understand. He gave me the best advice: He said the best thing I could ever do was work hard enough now so I could take care of my family. And it's true. Sometimes you have to work really hard and make sacrifices so you can provide for the people you love."

The truth about her breakup

"I really want to clear up some misunderstood stuff about Tony's and my breakup the night of the Idol finale, and let people know how amazing he was through the whole process. I feel like he's getting portrayed as this person who up and left me on the biggest day of my life, and that's not the case at all. I mean, he's getting hate mail and horrible messages online. So I want to make clear how amazing, kind, and generous a person he is, and that he truly considers my son his son and little Tony loves him. He's been there since my son was about 3 months old. And in a lot of ways, he's the perfect man; he really is. But ultimately, we both knew it wasn't going to work out, considering the different lives we were leading. And it's better to come to that realization than to have an unhappy relationship. Mommy and Daddy need to be happy in order for baby to be happy."

Her scariest Idol moment

"During Idol, I really hadn't been taking great care of myself. You want to forget you're diabetic for a while, and maybe you don't watch yourself as well as you should. I ended up getting sick in March, and they told me I was off the show. I wasn't going to take that. I begged, I screamed, I pleaded. I said, 'I want to meet with the head honchos. I need this so bad for my kid. I'll go home if I'm voted off, but not because of this.' That's the one time I threw a huge fit, and thankfully, they gave in."

The perks of insta-fame

"Sometimes I wake up and all of this good fortune seems crazy; other times it feels like the next step on my path. But I have to say, I'm still the same person. When I had my hometown parade on the show, I called up my twin brother, Carl, and I was like, 'Hey, Carl, I'm coming home.' And he was like, 'Parades are for presidents and astronauts. What did you do?' I loved it. He made me laugh for a good hour.

"Even though I have some financial security right now, it's not me to go start splurging on random things. I mean, I've lived my entire life with basically nothing, so what do I need now? The only thing I have splurged on is my son's college fund. He has a college fund, and that makes me happy. I love to say that: 'My son has a college fund.' I never had one. My parents couldn't do that for me. So I love that I'm now able to give that to Tony."

Stepping into a new life

"I like being busy; I like working hard. So in a lot of ways, everything that's happening feels completely natural, like this is what was meant to be. This summer I'll be all over the country on the American Idol tour, flying back and forth between that and Los Angeles. I think Tony will stay here with friends and family who are helping me look after him. But once it's my own tour, he will definitely be with me. And he'll be able to see and have all these experiences, meet all these new and interesting people, do a lot of unique things a lot of kids don't get to do. So it's a lot of new stuff for both of us. I'm looking forward to it.

"Eventually I'd love to find us a more stable place. I'd like to be either here in L.A. or in New York, because that's where Mommy can work. But for now, Tony's jet-setting, and he enjoys it. He loves going new places. And as cheesy as this is, home to me is where the heart is. I'm very at home in my skin. I'm at home when my son is with me."

Why her love life is on hold

"I'd love to have another kid, but as far as love.... You know, love happens when it happens; it's not something you search for. 'Cause you won't find it when you're looking. And when I think about, Do I want to get married someday?--it's a strange thing. For me, marriage is about love, not paperwork. I've never been the kid who dreamed of the big white dress, the long veil, the fancy diamond ring. If I ever do get married, I want my husband to be someone who's honest, kind, generous, with a sense of spirituality. I'm not so worried about looks; I'm more attracted to someone's mind than anything else."

The big reward

"Tony's first word this morning was happy. I am not joking. At some point in the night, I must've grabbed him out of his crib and brought him into bed with me, and we woke up this morning cuddling. And he sits up and he looks at me and he goes, 'Happy.' And I almost cried. I'm like, 'Really?' I'm doing something right and it feels so good. To me, the definition of success is happiness."

By: As told to Lori Berger, Redbook

Crystal Bowersox Wants Lenny Kravitz to Give Her a Call (interview)

GiveMeMyRemote's Marisa Roffman talks to American Idol season 9 runner-up Crystal Bowersox about the early elimination of the other girls, why she wants Lenny Kravitz to give her a call and more. (Part 1)

Crystal Bowersox and Diabetes. "It's All About Your Attitude"

"1 Happy Diabetic" gives a video Shout-out to American Idol Season 9's Crystal Bowersox.

Crystal, a type 1 Diabetic, is not the first Idol contestant to have to manage this difficult disease while dealing with the grueling practice and performance schedule of American Idol. Season 5 competitor Elliott Yamin was diagnosed with type I diabetes at the age of 16 and wears an insulin pump to help him manage his diabetes. Judge Randy Jackson stated in a February 2008 television commercial that he has type 2 diabetes.

American Idol's Crystal Bowersox interviews with Larry King

Season 9 runner-up Crystal Bowersox visits Larry King Live as part of the American Idols Open Up: On what happened on and off stage.

Crystal Bowersox Homecoming Schedule

American Idol Season 9 Top 3 Finalist Crystal Bowersox will return home to the Elliston, OH area on Friday!
Here is her tentative schedule. Local time is EDT.

--10:30am: Arrive at local AT&T store (Monroe St. Toledo, OH)

--11:30am: Parade and short concert in downtown Toledo, OH

--4pm: Small parade and then a concert at Ottawa County Fairgrounds (7870 W. State Route 163, Oak Harbor, OH)

--7pm: Sing national anthem before Mud Hens game at Fifth Third Field

American Idol Viewers Send "Big Mike" Packing, plus Results Recap

Michael Lynche Eliminated after Predictable Michael Jackson Cover During Movie Week By Joyce Lee

"Michael Lynche came painfully close to his dream of making it to the top three, but fell short when he received the fewest votes on Wednesday night's episode of American Idol.

Lynche, the 26-year-old personal trainer from St. Petersburg, Fla., left the viewers and the judges unsatisfied with his predictable performance of Michael Jackson's "Will You Be There." The judges deemed his performance safe and unimpressive.

During the results portion of the show, Casey James was the first contestant granted relief. This came as a shock since everyone assumed he would land in the bottom two with Lynche."

Next up was Lee DeWyze. Ryan Seacrest reminded the audience of the judges' assessment from last night. Lee didn't think his performance was karaoke-like, and was happy with the performance, but thought he could have done more with the arrangement. Ryan then called Mike's name, then asked him to "hang tight for a second." Then he said "Lee...friends, Lee is headed back to Chicago."

Lee DeWyze is safe!

"Instead, Crystal Bowersox was the one left standing next to Lynche at the end. But it was no surprise to hear she was saved, as she's a strong favorite to win the whole competition, or at least advance to the final two.

Despite being saved from elimination by the judges five weeks ago, Lynche had a good run. He won the viewers over early with his charm, and they were further endeared to him when his wife gave birth to their first child during the audition rounds.


Results Recap
American Idol Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino opened the show with her performance of "Bittersweet," a powerful ballad from her upcoming album. Bon Jovi also took the stage to sing "Superman Tonight."

Later, Season 5 finalist Chris Daughtry returned to the Idol stage with his rock band and performed "September." Grammy-nominated Daughtry offered a few words of advice to the finalists.

"Stay hungry and don't compromise the music you love -- stay what's true to you," he said.

Wednesday night's results show had 37 million viewers, a record high for the season.

Next week, the Season 9 Top 3 finalists - Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze and Casey James - will get a chance to visit their hometowns before hitting the stage once more, with one more contestant sent home before the May 26 finale."

On next Tuesday night's show, the Top 3 will sing 2 songs each – a song the judges choose for them and a tune they pick themselves. (At the time of writing, no theme had yet been announced for the Top 3 show. Wouldn't it be nice to have a theme-free night?) Traditionally, the contestants find out their judges' pick during their hometown visit - as if the finalists do not have enough on their minds during their whirl-wind tour of parades, ribbon cuttings, keys-to-the-city ceremonies and "God Bless America"'s. (See Lee's and Crystal's previous Blog entry for a taste of their hectic Friday schedule!)

with additional reporting by M.S. Chloe

Crystal will visit Toledo & Elliston, Ohio if her 'Idol' success continues!

BY CATHARINE HADLEY • Staff writer, Port Clinton News Herald • May 8, 2010

If Elliston's Crystal Bowersox makes it through next week's "American Idol" competition, she'll come back for a hometown visit.

"If she makes it through to the top three she will be here for the hometown visit on Friday," said Tom Cook, program director for The River radio station in Toledo.

He's been in contact with the "American Idol" staff, and if Bowersox makes it through she will be interviewed on radio station 101.5 the River at 8 a.m. and on 92.5 at 8:30 a.m.

"They are working on some other stuff, both in Toledo and in Elliston, and I heard a mention of the Ottawa County Fairgrounds," Cook said. "They did not want to say too much until all the details are ironed out, but there are some big things brewing if she makes it through."

KISS-FM host Andrew Z of the "Andrew Z In The Morning" show made this post on the show's Facebook page:

"Be sure to vote for Crystal Bowersox this week, if she makes the cut this week then she will be on our show Friday for her hometown visit. More details to come, but be sure to vote for her."

If Bowersox makes the final three next week, she will also sing the national anthem at the Toledo Mudhens game Friday .

Cook was interviewed recently by MTV senior writer Gil Kaufman, who was in Ottawa County with a production crew this week.

The station has been playing a Bowersox song called "Holy Toledo," which has been popular with listeners.

"We have been the only ones playing it until today, I think 92.5 started playing it, but we've been playing it since the middle of March," he said.

"It's been pretty huge. We have gotten a lot of calls and a lot of e-mails about it. People are excited to have a song by somebody local. It talks about Toledo and you can't argue with having her on such a national platform. ... Everyone knows who Crystal is now."

In the song, she sings that better days are ahead.

"It seems like we always show up on the bottom of all these lists that we don't want to be on the bottom of and I think people seeing her and hearing her, she gives people hope," the program director said. "It's good news that is coming out of northwest Ohio."

He said the song can be found on YouTube.

"I listened to it and I thought, 'God, this is a great song,' so I put it in our normal rotation."

Top 4 Idols Mentored by Jamie Foxx During Cinema Week!

This week, Jamie Foxx, movie star and recording artist, will mentor the American Idol Season 9 Top 4 as they take on the Songs of the Cinema. If you’ll recall, Foxx mentored the Top 5 last year for Rat Pack week.
On the Wednesday night results show, Daughtry will perform their new single, “September.” Bon Jovi is also set to perform.

Each of the four – Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze, Casey James and Michael Lynche will sing a solo. But, the 4 contestants will also pair up to sing a duet.

Duets for tonight! Crystal Bowersox/Lee Dewyze and Casey James/Mike Lynche! What do you think of that?

Another development: The list of songs have been expanded from 34 to 50. And man, the list is full of re-treads! Yikes. Not liking this list so much… Why are there so many bad 80’s songs on it?

New songs on the list include Prince’s “Purple Rain”, which is notable, because Prince rarely clears his songs for Idol. (He allowed fellow Minnesotan, Paris Bennett, to sing “Kiss” back in Season 5.) And there are songs nobody wants covered on Idol again, like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Falling Slowly”.

The sixteen additional songs don’t improve the original list, that’s heavy on cinema cheese and total WTF? Should be an amusing night.

So, what do you think the Idols should sing? Check out the list and leave your comments below!

* (Everything I Do) I Do It For You – Bryan Adams
* (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life – Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
* A Whole New World – Brad Kane & Lea Salonga
* Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In – The 5th Dimension
* Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) – Christopher Cross
* Beauty and the Beast – Celine Dion & Peabo Bryson
* Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
* Can I Have This Dance – Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Efron & the Cast of HS Musical
* Can You Feel the Love Tonight – Elton John & London Community Gospel Choir
* Can’t Fight the Moonlight – LeAnn Rimes
* Danger Zone – Kenny Loggins
* Don’t You Forget About Me – Simple Minds
* Endless Love – Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
* Evergreen – Barbra Streisand
* Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
* Falling Slowly – Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
* Flashdance (What a Feeling) – Irene Cara
* Footloose – Kenny Loggins
* Gangsta’s Paradise – Coolio
* Ghostbusters – Ray Parker Jr.
* Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky) – Bill Conti
* Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman – Bryan Adams
* I Believe I Can Fl – R. Kelly
* I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Aerosmith
* I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
* I’m Alright (Theme from Caddyshack) – Kenny Loggins
* Into the West – Howard Shore and Annie Lennox
* Iris – Goo Goo Dolls
* It Might Be You (from Tootsie) – Stephen Bishop
* Jai Ho – A.R. Rahman, Sukhvinder Singh, Tanvi Shah et al
* Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley
* Kiss From a Rose – Seal
* Let the Riverrun – Carly Simon
* Live and Let Die – Wings
* Lose Yourself – Eminem
* Moon River (from Moon River) – Audrey Hepburn & Henry Mancini
* Mrs Robinson – Simon & Garfunkle
* My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion
* One Night Only – Jennifer Hudson, Deena Jones & The Dreams
* Over the Rainbow – Judy Garland
* Purple Rain – Prince & the Revolution
* Separate Lives – Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin
* Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
* Summertime – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
* Superfly – Curtis Mayfield
* Take My Breath Away (Love Theme from Top Gun) – Berlin
* Up Where We Belong – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
* We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) – Tina Turner
* Will You Be There – Michael Jackson
* You’ll Be in My Heart – Glenn Close & Phil Collins

This week, Idol hopefuls salute the golden hits of the silver screen, making their selections from the magical movie songs on the above playlist. Click the "Songs From the Movies" box below to download these great songs as singles, or download all - with just one click - as a special American Idol "Songs from the Movies" album.

Letters to Crystal ~ The Devotion She Inspires...

There is just something about American Idol's Crystal Bowersox. She inspires a love and devotion in her fans that is so deep, so profound, you'd think she had been in the public eye for years. She is looked at as a role model for her strength and perseverance, and is very vocal about a cause close to her heart, childhood diabetes. Crystal is a Type-1 diabetic, but hasn't let that slow her down.

Here are two heart-felt comments, letters really, left for Crystal. I think they are beautiful, and wanted to share them with her fans...

Dave Kelley said...

Much has been said about Crystal's talent and I agree with it all. I want to add my humble opinion about her as a person. Being an observer of people, I have watched Crystal and her reactions to criticism, praise and the love she gets from the audience. She always takes each of those with class and dignity. I will never forget her reaction to Simon's praise of her rendition of "Me and Bobby McGee", after she was somewhat criticized by the 2 women on the panel, he told her he would not have her change a thing about her performance(Randy agreed), her eyes got wide and it looked as if she whispered "really", he then went on to say her performance was as good as the best he had heard from Pink, she got a wide-eyed look and blew her hair away from her face. To me that reaction was priceless. Also after her performance of the Shania Twain number, when Simon didn't like the performance, she told Simon she still loved him. It, in my opinion, reveals the type of person she is, even though she knows who she is as a performer and person, she still is in awe of what other folks think of her.
She is quick to praise the people on the stage with her and not take all the credit. Another thing she is the only contestant (and I may be wrong about this) to not flash her number while Ryan is giving out the phone number to call and vote for her.
I am a 70 year old man, not that it has anything to do with anything, but I would be very proud to have her as a granddaughter and no matter what America does in the voting, she will always be a class act.
I personally think she is the best talent to appear on AI to date. I have watched AI off and on since the start, my favorite was Kelly Clarkson, along with Carrie Underwood. Beyond that I can't remember who the other winners were, after all as I said I am 70 years old.
My passion is music and not having any musical talent myself I pride myself in being open minded and love all kinds of music, including some rap. I did like Adam last year, but alas America is fickle when it comes to voting, it sometimes becomes a popularity contest rather than a talent contest.
I love what another of my favorite artists, Miranda Lambert says about Crystal, shows me she (Miranda) not only has talent but excellent taste. LOL.
To me she is already a success and I believe that Crystal will always retain her endearing qualities no matter what the final outcome of AI is. AI will not be the end of Crystal, she has to much talent and what to me is her best quality, very easy to love as a person!! That being said, I also want her to have commercial success and enjoy the perks that come along with that, mainly the financial part.


May 3, 2010 10:24 AM
Cajun said...

Crystal, You are a healer! Your soothing jazzy, folk sound is so healing to everyone in your path! No matter what those faulty judges say, ignore it, just because they are in the business, does not mean they know what they are talking about. It will not be them who will be buying your music, it will be the rest of the world, we know what we want, you have it, and we know what we are talking about! All I hear from them, is what they want, not what the world expects from you, and you, are doing very wonderful and very awesome work, we all love you! Every time I see you, I wish I were a judge on the show, so I can say, "Crystal, every time you are on that stage, you blow me away so hard, that words are not enough to tell you the remarkable job you are doing".... If one judge says something negative, the rest follows, if one says something positive, the rest will follow, they can not even speak for them selves...listen to the people who will buy you music, who vote numerous times for you, we speak the truth, we speak for ourselves, we know what we want, we want YOU! Forget the negative from them, keep the positive from your fans in your heart, they are the ones who will be with you forever....remember how they judged Susan Boyle cause of how she looked, well, look at her now, and look at them regretting it, she won because of the people, not because of judges who judge the the reason you are there...we have your back Crystal, get on stage and have ours!

When Harry met Casey ... and Lee and Crystal and Michael and Aaron

American Idol Season 9 Top 5 perform the music of Frank Sinatra, with mentoring by Harry Connick Jr.
It's not every day you walk into the "American Idol" studio and find Harry Connick Jr. at the piano, but that's where the jazz legend was, dressed Monday casual in a baggy white button-down and loose black pants, walking Big Mike through his big-band arrangement -- one that Harry himself came up with -- and making sure the Top 5 contender was comfortable with the twists and turns of a Sinatra song. Judging from the fist bump at the end, it was all good.

It's Ol' Blue Eyes week, which means it felt a little like a Christmas rom-com and a lot like "When Harry Met Sally" on Stage 36. Only this was when Harry met Lee, and Casey, Crystal and Aaron, along with the aforementioned Michael Lynche. Truth be told, Harry Connick is one heck of a multi-tasker. Not only did he orchestrate all the parts of each individual song, but he also played conductor, cheerleader and vocal coach.

The process, however, was pretty much the same. Each contestant got at least three run-throughs plus an instrumental to sing along to sans amplification, with musical director Rickey Minor looking on from the judges' table. The band, which includes nine string players, 13 brass and one drummer, looks like it was put together by HCJ. And as we previously reported, no one is allowed to play an instrument this week.

How did that pan out? Kind of nicely, I must admit. Without the weight and obstruction of a guitar, however minor, it seemed as though the Top 5 opened up vocally -- like they got more power, volume and reach with that little bit of extra air. Or maybe that's just confidence taking control. After all, it's been a couple of months of high-stress competition.

And how was Season 9's guitar golden boy Casey James handling the adjustment? "We'll see," he said with a hint of skepticism, then explained how he'd come to terms with what he "signed up for." Meaning, he's not driving this well-oiled machine. Nevertheless, Casey was pleasantly surprised by this new guitar-less sound. "Walking around sounds different," he enthused in a moment of self-discovery. Leave it to stage manager Debbie Williams to chime in with a very important message for Casey: "You know who we should fix you up with? Kellie Pickler." As if Casey needs help in the dating department. Really, Debbie.

We kid, but in all seriousness -- someone's gotta go every week. This is what Casey James was explaining after mentioning our shiva for Siobhan. That's right, the guy in the bottom two was trying to console me. I'm not sure if that meant he'd resigned himself to the possibility that Tuesday is his last night or whether Casey was just speaking the truth, but I liked the way he ended his thoughts: "Well, you have two more days to mourn." And: "What matters to me me is what happens after the show." He's wiser than he even realizes...

Speaking of smarts, Aaron Kelly's got some, otherwise how would he have made it to the Top 5? With his sleeves rolled up (as always) and his schoolwork out of the way, he was down to big-band business and what he does best: belt. Last week, I asked him about hitting the "money note" -- that big sustain at the end of every one of his performances. "It's not that I'm trying to show off," he explained, "it's what feels right for the song. Sometimes, I feel like it's gonna be boring if it doesn't have a big, grand ending." And going one step further in proving he's Season 9's David Archuleta, little Aaron dutifully hugged everyone within arm's reach (Crystal, vocal coach Debra Byrd, Fox staffers etc.), vintage Archie style. No wonder he keeps getting all those votes!

As for our front-runners, needless to say, Lee and Crystal handled their starring turns with aplomb, even if somewhat fidgety without their instruments. So instead of the strum, it was the snap, which seems all too appropriate considering the genre du jour. Lee was especially thumb-happy and also looking quite chummy with Mr. Connick, while Casey, who held onto his microphone for dear life, was simply starstruck. "I'm not even alive right now, it's like I'm in a dream," he said while watching Harry have his way with a Hammond organ.

To that end, expect a little New Orleans groove in Tuesday's episode (it is, after all, Harry Connick's hometown), as evidenced by Crystal and Rickey Minor's impromptu twirl at the base of the stage while Lee sang his heart out. Similarly, Lee and Casey both stood at attention while Crystal ran through her Sinatra number. But even with only 30-some people in the room, the show's last girl standing garnered the loudest applause from this influential focus group. Next stop: final four.

-- Shirley Halperin
L.A. Times, American Idol Tracker

Melissa Etheridge talks about meeting Crystal Bowersox

Onstage during a performance at iheartradio, Melissa Etheridge remembers an encounter with American Idol's Crystal Bowersox.

Crystal, the Season 9 Top 5 front-runner, has named Melissa Etheridge as one of her musical influences along with other 'huge' name artists such as Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt. "Lesser known artists, with whom Crystal has regularly jammed with in Toledo and Chicago, and/or whom she got to know and played with during her worldwide travels" include Sista Otis, Ray LaMontagne, Bobby May, Brian Walker and Ron "Razz" Rasberry. "These artists have all played a role in contributing to Crystal's life experience and her unique artistic style."

Thanks to fansofcrystalbowersox.

With Crystal Bowersox & 3 other Idols sporting new ink, Season 9's Top 6 talk tattoos

Life offstage had a theme this week and it was new ink. With a rare day off (which Siobhan Magnus described as "like, a big deal"), four of six Season 9 contestants took advantage of the me time and visited a Hollywood tattoo parlor on Friday night. Naturally, we had to ask what inspired the four to mark the occasion and also posed a question to Casey and Aaron, who sat out the inking: What would they put on their sleeve at this moment in their lives?
Crystal Bowersox: Sporting fresh ink on her left wrist -- a beautifully illustrated gadfly-like twist on the classic medical symbol with a syringe down the middle and the words Type 1 Diabetic written across the top, Crystal said she got the tattoo because she is a "diabetic for life" and also "because I am really horrible about wearing medic ID bracelets and necklaces." But beyond practical purposes, Crystal says it sends a message to others and serves as a reminder to herself. "It's important now being in the position that I'm in," she explained after Tuesday night's show. "I have a responsibility to take good care of myself. There's lots of little kids out there with juvenile diabetes who need to take care of themselves, and they need a good role model." As for the art itself, she proudly declared, "I designed my own thing."

Siobhan Magnus: Ever the jokester, Siobhan first tried to convince us she had Michael Lynche's and Lee DeWyze's names written on her butt cheek, leaving "room on the other side for everybody else.... I'm sorry I can't show you," she said with a hilariously straight face. But in all seriousness, she couldn't show us the roman numeral IX she had stenciled on her "hip area," but she could explain the digit's significance: "It's been a really good number for me," said Siobhan. "I was 19 years old when I tried out in 2009 for season 9. And the more I think about it, then the more nines come up. Like memory vomit -- I was 9 years old when I figured out I loved to sing, and I was born in 1990, I could go on and on...."

Michael Lynche: Big Mike's gigantic guns both got new decoration. On his left arm, three stars, each about 3 inches tall. On his right: the word "Dream" in script. "They're healing up good," said Mike. "I'm just into reaching for the stars, you know? As silly as it is, I'm reaching as high as you can go and just dreaming big dreams. I'm sure all of us want to be stars. It resonates in my spirit, so I put it on my arm."

Lee DeWyze: Fans first spotted Lee's adornment at a "Shrek Forever After" screening over the weekend. Lee explained the symbol: "I got a silhouette of the Chicago flag ... (because of) everything that's happened to me there, and that's where this all started for me."

Casey James: When it comes to future tats, the wheels are already turning in Casey's mind. One of which, he teased, involves "a symbol from a movie" on his arm. He later 'fessed up: it's a Star Wars thing, which he'll share with his brother and cousin. "I've got a few (tattoos) drawn up that I'm getting when I go back home," said Casey. "My brother has one on his arm that's my initials on music bars, and I'm going to get his, which is BC."

Aaron Kelly: Though he's now one year closer to 18, Aaron's mother would likely not approve of a tattoo on her little guy -- even if it said "Mom" -- but if he were to go under the pen? "I'd probably go (with something) like Siobhan's," said Aaron. "But she did a roman numeral IX and I'd probably get the (number) 9 for season 9 of American Idol."

SOURCE: Shirley Halperin, LATimes.com

"American idyll" ~ A Story of Crystal's Early Life in Ohio

Examine ‘American Idol' favorite Crystal Bowersox's next performance closely, and you'll catch a glimpse of the hardscrabble nooks in Northwest Ohio that shaped her.

By Christopher Borrelli, Tribune reporter

TOLEDO — What makes an American Idol most?

A great story? A great talent? To understand the phenomenon that is, or will be, Crystal Bowersox, to trace the roots of this 24-year-old Midwest singer — from microscopic rural patches of Northwest Ohio to Chicago train platforms where she busked for tips, from the dingiest old-man dives to the glare of "American Idol," where she now stands a real shot at winning, or at least walking away a freshly minted star — to assemble the pieces that come together in a bluesy growl that transcends pop novelty altogether, to understand why an everyday, small-town bar musician with few prospects has most of this depressed area rallying around her: Begin at Papa's Tavern.

Papa's is on the East Side, on the side that looks like the Toledo that people who are not from Toledo imagine Toledo looks like — that is, until the economy collapsed, and the rest of Toledo began to look like the East Side of Toledo. Papa's rests in the center of a blue-collar neighborhood, within a row of squat houses, a 70-year-old bar so tucked away that people who have lived here all their lives have never heard of it.

Bowersox started here.

It is a place so unchanged that a chunk of cardboard pulled from a beer case and signed by dozens of returning Vietnam vets still hangs on a pillar, a makeshift POW-MIA tribute from the 1970s. A place so unchanged that at the back of the urinals in the men's room you can still find a "Hanoi Jane" sticker, with Jane Fonda's stoic expression at the center of a bull's-eye. A place so unchanged the lovely caramel-candy color of its tin ceiling is actually decades of accumulated nicotine, so thick the bar once brought in folks to scrub it off, but the hue was so ingrained everyone gave up after a few hours. A place so unchanged that on a Tuesday afternoon every stool at the bar is occupied and nearly everyone is smoking, the state ban on cigarettes in bars and taverns more of a quaint suggestion than a law.

The kind of place where, to borrow a phrase from Bowersox (writing on Facebook about rumors that she had threatened to walk off the show), one doesn't apologize for being human. Tim Stahl bought the bar three years ago. He remembers trying to schedule Bowersox into a weekly slot. He sits in a booth on a recent Tuesday afternoon. Behind him, on the wall, alongside the paintings of other musicians associated with Papa's, is a mural of Bowersox, carrying her guitar. The painting went up last year, months before anyone here had a clue she had even auditioned for "American Idol."

"Listen, I'll tell you, I am not big on change," he says. "I don't mind putting in a new toilet, and I don't mind replacing the CDs in the jukebox every now and then. But that's it. I wanted her in here every week, so I said, ‘Crystal, I don't have much to offer, but I can give you Wednesday nights, and that is Taco Night, and Taco Night is big.'"

The stage is small.

Big enough for a singer and not much else. Stretched across its wood floor is a rug that hasn't seen shampoo in years. Stahl gave Bowersox an old lamp a while ago. She built a microphone stand from it. As Stahl explains this, a man wanders over and hovers beside the table with an expectant smile and a beer in his hand. Stahl stares back.

"I'm a Siobhan fan, myself," the guy says.

"Get the hell out, Dave."

"He's kidding," Stahl says.

Papa's is for regulars. Many live within stumbling distance, no more than a block or two away. There's Chuck Rat. And there's Coop. There's Catfish, who comes in and cues up "Goodnight, Saigon" on the jukebox once a week. And there's the elderly man who comes in with his oxygen tank and plastic tubes up his nose and drinks until his wife arrives in her pickup truck and Tim has to carry him out of the bar. When Simon Cowell says he looks at Bowersox and sees a street musician still playing for change — and he means that with sincerity and affection — he's seeing the paycheck-to-paycheck tenacity found in a place like Papa's.

Bowersox first performed here at around 14. Ron Rasberry, a local singer-songwriter who plays Papa's on Tuesdays, says he met her at an open-mic night in nearby Genoa. He suggested to her mother that she come to Papa's and grab some stage time between acts.

"Already, I remember, instead of a bunch of covers, she was singing originals, and I thought, ‘Look, you haven't been doing this long enough to be this good.' But she was," he says. "The conviction in her voice was genuine."

She's also been a shot in the arm around here, Rasberry adds: "Toledo, if I may say so, is in the toilet right now. Tumbleweeds are pretty much rolling through downtown these days. We could use an uplift, and Crystal is it."

The unemployment rate in Lucas County, which contains Toledo, is 13 percent, a couple of points higher than the state average. In nearby Ottawa County, where Bowersox grew up, unemployment is more than 19 percent. Bowersox is not the only famous person to come out of this area: There's Danny Thomas, Jamie Farr and Katie Holmes. But if people here feel closer to Bowersox than, say, Holmes, that's because "she's done it the hard way," according to Craig Coolidge, who works at Guitar Center in nearby Holland, "and Katie Holmes went to private schools, and she doesn't feel like part of Toledo."

It's an area with class resentment but not much guile. The other day, Stahl says, eager to get his bar on the map but not eager to seem greedy, he quietly looked into how much it would cost him to hire Carrie Underwood to play Papa's. He decided he'll stick to local talent, but he doubts Bowersox will ever play Papa's again. Outside the bar, a banner wishing her good luck is strung across the faded blue facade. Inside, Stahl is saying, "I don't know if I'll ever see Crystal Bowersox again, and if I don't, you know, I admit, that would be awesome, because that'd mean she did well and she had no reason to come back here."


The next stop on our Bowersox tour of Ohio is the Village Idiot, which she played Monday nights for the year leading up to "American Idol," though it was to the smallest crowds of the week. She landed $100 a performance, which she split with her bass player and old friend Frankie May. The Village Idiot is in Maumee, just south of Toledo, and if the lack of pretense you sense from Bowersox can be glimpsed at Papa's, then at the Village Idiot, you can hear her influences, and see her Earth-mama, vaguely indie image taking shape. Nate Woodward, one of the bartenders, says — as did many of the regulars — that she hasn't improved on "American Idol" so much as brought to the show exactly what she sounded like at the Idiot.

"And I mean that as a compliment, definitely," he said.

Bowersox went to the Toledo School for the Arts, then moved to Chicago at 17, where she busked and played open-mic nights, as well as Uncommon Ground, Fitzgerald's and the Friendly Tap in Berwyn, which started a tip jar in 2008 to help her move back to Ohio to give birth to her now-year-old son.

"When she returned to Toledo and we played together again," said May, "we could not believe how much we improved."

They started to play around Toledo, and last year they won the Toledo Blade newspaper's Battle of the Bands. The prize included a $500 gift certificate for a local guitar store.

Today, a massive portrait of Bowersox hangs above the Idiot bar, across from a poster of Bob Dylan and beside a portrait of bartender Ed Lopez dressed as Isaac from "The Love Boat." Beneath it is a sign reading "Hippies use the back door" — a bit of an irony because the Idiot is something of a hippie bar itself. An ancient piano is supported by a pair of old beer kegs. A dog sits beneath a table in the center of the room. The jukebox is a mash of roots music — Mavis Staples alongside Talking Heads beside Townes Van Zandt — though, unlike the jukebox at Papa's, it doesn't have any of the handful of songs Bowersox recorded while living around here.

That said, Idiot owner John Schafer held a raffle this year and sent about $500 to Bowersox — "just walking-around money that she might need" in LA, he said. And like Stahl at Papa's, he sounds queasy when asked about capitalizing on Bowersox's potential: "I don't want to define ourselves by her, but even my 85-year-old Polish mother thinks I should be sending press releases and milking this."

Nevertheless, Tuesdays — performance night on "Idol" — have drawn packed houses and a host of white-haired grandma types "looking to get close to the action," said Kathy Lee, of nearby Perrysburg. The crowd trickles in, the lights dim outside the tall windows of this former bank, then the show begins. And the crowd talks straight through every performer except two: Bowersox and Lee DeWyze, the Mount Prospect native who is looking like her chief competition.

When Bowersox sings the first notes of The Impressions' "People, Get Ready" (the show's theme is "inspiration"), a collective Shhhhhhh surges through the room, along with a handful of exasperated expletives. Bowersox bursts into tears on the final notes, and the room Awwws. (Tuesday night Bowersox performed Shania Twain's "No One Needs to Know," a love song she dedicated to her boyfriend.)

When "People, Get Ready" is over, Woodward, the bartender, swipes at water collecting in his eyes. The band on the stage Bowersox once occupied warms up, and Woodward and Lopez begin their newest Tuesday-night tradition: They place their cell phones beside the register. They take an order, then turn to the register, text in a vote for Crystal, return to the counter, take an order, turn to the register, vote again, repeat — 200 times.

•••

To reach Elliston, where Bowersox was born and raised and her father still lives, it's best to avoid Google Maps. Sometimes you get Graytown, the next town over, sometimes Elliston. Elliston does not appear on many GPS units either, and the Ohio Department of Transportation official state map includes no mention. Elliston is roughly 20 miles southeast of Toledo, and, depending on who's answering, 90 people live there, give or take a dozen. Stand in the center of Elliston and turn slowly, and you will see no more than a couple dozen houses, a few farms, two churches and the remains of an old gas station. Walk over to the gas station. There's a single pump, the glass across its face jagged and smashed, the price ticker stopped at 30 cents a gallon.

Elliston is so flat that from a mile away you can see a dead raccoon in the center of County Road 208, which cuts north and south. Elliston is so flat that the highest point is probably where County Road 208 rises a few feet and meets an Amtrak line, which cuts east and west. You don't visit Elliston, you pass through. It's so quiet every sound registers distinctly. A dog barks. A bird chirps. A truck roars by. A lawnmower starts. There's virtually no overlap.

Elliston is not incorporated. Its cemetery is roughly the size of Elliston. And, until a few weeks ago, when some locals sprung into action, Elliston never even had a welcome sign. So, now it does: "Elliston, est. 1867. Home of Crystal Bowersox."

The Bowersox home is yellow, and the paint on the garage is peeling. It sits behind Trinity United Church of Christ, where, on a Wednesday night, hundreds stream into its gathering hall — most wearing red and white T-shirts professing their love for Crystal — for what has become a weekly viewing party. The town is here: the pastor, who mentions that Crystal doesn't go to church here, but they want to show their support for her anyway; and "the Mayor" is here, 82-year-old Evelyn Schimming, who remembers when the town employed mostly barrel-makers, then farmers. She sits in front of a wide spread of desserts, hot dogs, pizza. Crystal is without question the biggest thing to happen here, Schimming says. "She doesn't need good luck," says Andrea Hayes, holding her newborn. "She's clearly the best." Elliston is unequivocally confident in her. When the moment comes for the weekly results, the room quiets, but doesn't go silent. There's little tension.

Standing in the kitchen, Dan Appelhans turns to his wife and says, "I haven't seen this many people in one place since the presidential election."

"Since the chicken barbecue," Kathy Appelhans corrects.

Outside Trinity, the night is starless and black, and the fields and the railroad tracks and the front yards piled with rusting bed frames and car doors have disappeared. Everyone is inside, and everyone from every surrounding community is inside. The only light comes from a cloud rimmed in silver from a faint moon and — across the street, in the living room of the Bowersox home — from the flicker of a TV screen. Between curtains pulled halfway across the window, you can see "American Idol" break for a commercial. A cat stalks across the windowsill and jumps to the floor. We knock. There's no answer. A train whistle blows from the east. And someone, somewhere laughs.
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