Copious Notes

Danny Gokey visited Faith Builders International in Milwaukee May 8. Photo by Carrie Antlfinger | AP.

This year’s American Idol finals ­offered the nation 13 singers from across the country with ­different strengths, looks, backgrounds and styles. But six of them had ­something in common, aside from wanting to be the next American Idol: They all had experience as church worship leaders.

That included two of the final three competitors in the eighth season of Idol, which wraps up Wednesday with a two-hour season finale.

Danny Gokey, 28, was praise and worship leader at two Faith Builders International locations in Wisconsin.

Kris Allen performs Kanye West's "Heartless" on "American Idol" May 12. Photo by Frank Micelotta | PictureGroup for FOX.

And Kris Allen, 23, has worked with praise and worship teams at two New Life churches in Arkansas.

Gokey was booted Wednesday night, so Allen is the one who is going on to compete in next week’s final against Adam Lambert, long considered the front runner in this year’s race. And that was fine by several Christian music observers.

“I see the worship leader in Danny, but Kris has more of the ability to be artistic,” said Joanne Brokaw, a Christian music writer who brought the preponderance of worship ­leaders in this year’s Idol field to light with a Feb. 27 post on her Beliefnet.com blog that asked, “Is this the season of the worship leader?”

Other artists in this year’s final group who have Christian music backgrounds were dueling pianist Matt Giraud, blind musician Scott MacIntyre, oil rigger Michael Sarver and Memphis mother Lil Rounds.

“The thing that really struck me was not just that they were Christians, but they were church worship leaders,” said Brokaw, who has since ­predicted Allen will win the finale, already ­being ­characterized by some as David vs. Goliath. “These are people who have actively been ­working within their churches as musicians.”

And that work can give a singer a leg up on the ­competition. Read the rest of this entry »

Simon Cowell got roundly booed for saying it on American Idol last night, but he was right: Saving Matt Giraud probably only delayed the inevitable. Frankly, anyone who has to be saved at No. 7 stands little chance of being the next American Idol.

Matt Giraud stays alive after receiving a judges save on American Idol, April 15. Photo by Michael Becker | Fox.

But the judges were running out of weeks. Next week was the last one they would have been able to invoke their new-found power to save a contestant who was voted off. And if they had waited, they could have very well ended up needing to use that privilege on Anoop Desai or passed on the much-hyped plot twist. Matt, at least, was a quasi-credible save.

If Idol really wants to make this dramatic though, next season, they should add a few more weeks. The final three would probably be a little too late, but at least the final four might give the judges a shot at saving someone with a reasonable chance of winning. As it was, this was very contrived all along, trying to create drama over saving people who barely made it into the Final 13.

Of course, if Matt wants to look for some hope, he could just glance over at his fellow regular cellar dweller. Anoop was the surprise 13th finalist, essentially the first save this season, and now he’s survived to nearly the half-way point. So, maybe there’s hope for Matt. But, particularly with two being eliminated next week, there isn’t much hope.

• Read former contestant Phil Stacey’s ‘Idol’ blog.