Melinda Doolittle Schools Her Fellow American Idol Finalists - Is It Really a Competition Anymore?

Performing a song somewhat unfamiliar to judges and the voting public can carry risks in American Idol, but it can also pay off in a big way. Just ask Katharine McPhee about last year's showstopping performance of KT Tunstall's "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree." Last night when Melinda Doolittle took the stage to perform on "Country Night," guest coach Martina McBride had already informed us "Trouble Is a Woman" was a song she had not heard before. The song did barely squeak into the Country Top 40 back in 1999 in a performance by Julie Reeves, but I can guarantee most viewers did not know the tune. By the time Melinda Doolittle was finished telling her story and wringing every emotion out of the song, it felt like an old friend.

Sure, Blake Lewis turned in another fine, definitively Blake, performance. Jordin Sparks showed her abundant gifts in performing a big, belting song, and Phil Stacey seemed to come out of his shell with the opportunity to sing honkytonk country. However, can anyone believe that those contestants could legitimately take down Melinda Doolittle in a head-to-head finale? I turned back my own pages to read what I wrote about the auditioning Melinda Doolittle back in January. I think I was right on target. See what you think about those early Melinda Doolittle comments.