Citation :
'The girl is a star' - What LaKisha's loved ones always knew, now the world shares
Posted by Doug Pullen, Sally York, March 11, 2007 12:43PM
Who is LaKisha Jones? Since she was she was named one of the Top 24 finalists Feb. 14, she and her family have been largely inaccessible to the media, per the show's orders.
What has emerged is a picture of a determined young woman, strong in her Christian faith, loyal to her friends and devoted to her family.
LaKisha Jones was barely a blip on the music scene's radar screen a month ago.
"I hadn't heard of her," said the usually plugged-in Carter McWright, a Flint gospel promoter and longtime owner of the Music Planet record store.
Then came Season 6 of "American Idol."
Jones, 27, became a national sensation on Feb. 21, her daughter's fourth birthday, when nearly 30 million people saw the former bank clerk from Flint blow away the competition with a rousing performance of the defiant "Dreamgirls" theme song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going."
Now Jones is a Top 12 finalist and favored to win or finish near the top when the show crowns its sixth American Idol on May 23, an event regarded as the music world's equivalent of the Super Bowl.
The winner gets a recording contract, management, a booking agent and so much more.
Jones' stardom, however, is already a fact.
Thirty million viewers, the Internet and morning talk shows will do that. So will rousing vocals and the approval of the show's judges.
She's certainly created a stir in her hometown and state. The Whiting wants her. The Crim Festival of Races wants her.
The governor wants to put on a rally in Flint in her honor.
Jones and her family have been largely inaccessible to the media, per the show's orders, since she was named one of the Top 24 finalists Feb. 14.
What has emerged from limited access to her and her family, interviews with those who know her, and Internet and Flint Journal archive searches is a picture of a determined young woman, strong in her Christian faith, loyal to her friends and devoted to her family - especially her daughter, Brionne; her mother, Beverly Jefferson, 50; and her 89-year-old grandmother, Ruth Jefferson Morris, to whom Jones dedicated a song on the show last month.
She's a "powerhouse," according to someone who should know, Artie Dixson-Mays, Brionne's godmother and the choir director at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, where LaKisha started singing at her grandmother's urging at the tender age of 5.
"Kisha always wanted to be a singer ever since she was a child. She was a go-getter," Dixson-Mays said.
"It was destined, trust me," notes Terence Grundy of Flint, a friend and former "Idol" auditionee. "Kisha deserves everything she gets because the girl is a star. Like ("Idol" judge) Simon (Cowell) says, she has the stage presence, the voice, and she has the attitude. That's what makes a true star."
Growing up
LaKisha Ann Jones was born Jan. 13, 1980, at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, The Journal has learned. Mom Beverly is a teacher at the Flint Foundation Academy, formerly Flint Northern High School. The identity of her father is not public record. An only child, she was raised primarily by her mother, grandmother Ruth (who turns 90 on March 31) and an extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins.
She attended DuKette Catholic Elementary School, Eisenhower Elementary and Whittier Middle School. By then, the girl they call "Kisha" knew she wanted to be a star, like her idol, Whitney Houston.
"That's been the goal since before seventh grade," Jones told The Journal in 1997.
Her ambition flowered at Central High School (now Flint Commencement Academy), where she sang in the choir, its elite Madrigal Singers and participated in the arts magnet program. At Central, Jones received voice training and opportunities to branch out beyond her gospel roots, act in plays and perform elsewhere, including New York.
"She got the foundation when she was in Flint Central," Morris said.
Jones won Flint's Super-Show, a now-defunct citywide talent competition, in April 1997. She was a high school junior who wowed the crowd and judges with a spirited, original arrangement of "Amazing Grace."
"Her head was always in music, not that she went overboard with it, but she always did such a good job and was there whenever you needed someone who could be depended on," her high school choir director, Helmut Petrich, now retired, told The Journal.
But she wanted more.
The UM-Flint years
Jones graduated from Central in 1998 and enrolled at the University of Michigan-Flint. She majored in music, but spent most of her time around the theater department, where she had small roles in two musicals - the big-band music revue "The 1940s Radio Hour" and "Godspell," which combined gospel and pop.
She made a big impression on audiences, Journal reviewers and classmates.
"In terms of who she is as a person, she's very kind, very pleasant, very fun. I had all kinds of fond experiences with her. I remember cracking up with her on the tour bus from theater to theater. She was very playful, a borderline clown," recalled William Irwin, who performed in both productions and is now a lecturer at UM-Flint.
WNEM (Channel 5) reporter David Custer, who was in two theater classes with her, recalled her performance in "The 1940s Radio Hour."
"She had a small, little role and sang a jazz-type number, very uptempo, and she stole the show," Custer said. "I thought, 'My God, that girl can sing.'"
Irwin couldn't find any record of her performing in plays her sophomore year. Custer wondered what became of his friend. "We had like two classes together, and suddenly she was gone. I never knew what happened to her," he said.
Until he saw her last month on "American Idol."
"I started calling everybody I knew," Custer said.
Houston-bound
Jones, who worked as a file clerk for the city of Flint's Summer Youth Program in 1999, moved to Houston after her sophomore year in 2000. She lived there for six years, a period during which she became a mother and matured as a performer.
Grundy said Jones had a bank teller job there, but she wanted to sing, eventually taking a secretarial job with the 7,000-member Abundant Life Cathedral in southwest Houston, which has its own recording studio and a reputation for turning out talent, including gospel superstar Yolanda Adams. It also had a 70-member choir, which she joined.
"Her spiritual growth here helped her in life. We taught her to dream big," church spokesman Ernest Walker said.
Part of dreaming big was auditioning for "American Idol," which she did in 2003, when Brionne was only 5 months old. Jones didn't make it past the second round.
"I was so ashamed that I didn't make it. ... I thought, 'I ain't gonna try again,'" Jones told The Journal last month.
She didn't give up for long. Two years later, Jones took second place in "Gimme the Mike! Houston," an "Idol"-like competition sponsored by Houston Fox affiliate KPRC.
But she apparently was not satisfied.
Moving on
Jones moved to Fort Meade, Md., last July to be near relatives. Fort Meade is an Army base between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, next door to the National Security Agency's headquarters. She found security in family and another bank job, Provident Bank in suburban Millersville.
She wasn't there long - four months - but made a lasting impression on her co-workers. Like those back in Flint and Houston, they've kept up via text messaging and weekly viewing parties on the nights she performs.
"We all felt she was a friend from the get-go, so we're really supporting her," assistant manager Patrick Owens said last week.
The bank job paid the bills, but the dream wasn't restored until Jones made the cut last August at "Idol" auditions in New York. She listed Fort Meade as her hometown on the application form, which is why it's listed that way on the show's Web site, www.americanidol.com. Jones has said on the show and in interviews that she's from Flint.
Her "blast furnace" voice, as one publication called it, stood out in a very big crowd. She made her first real impression on "Idol" judges in the Big Apple, who invited her to Hollywood for the next round of tryouts.
But that would mean quitting her new job. And what about Brionne?
Coming home
Going to Hollywood for what could be up to a five-month stay put Jones in a precarious position. She had been on the job for only four months. She couldn't go through the grueling "Idol" process and care for her daughter.
Home beckoned.
Jones' mom, Beverly Jefferson, took in Brionne in October. Jones moved back here in November, but she had to keep her golden ticket to possible stardom a secret.
Courtesy of FoxThe girls on stage at American Idol
She was in town last November and stopped by the office to say hello," UM-Flint's Irwin recalled. "We chatted a while about 'American Idol.' She couldn't tell me exactly how far she had gotten because of contract obligations, but she kind of hinted at the fact that I should tune in because she was doing well."
She was in the crowd Jan. 16 at the Christ Enrichment Center when the New McCree Theatre handed out awards to its participants, including her friend, Terence Grundy. She also sang "Amazing Grace" at Mount Zion that month.
When February rolled around, she was on a plane bound for Hollywood - and a new life.
What's next?
Win or lose, stardom seems a certainty for the talented Miss Jones. It's not just the show's winners - Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood - who go on to fame and fortune, but some of its losers have done well, too, including Chris Daughtry, who has the No. 1-selling album in the country (and performs a sold-out show tonight at Flint's Machine Shop).
Grundy and his sister, Tenisha, recently spent a week with Jones in Hollywood. He said the offers have been pouring in, though she can't act on anything right now.
McWright, the record store owner and gospel promoter who didn't know who Jones was a month ago, is well aware of her now.
We all are.
"I hope she wins it," he said. "I'm going to be voting for her."
source:
http://blog.mlive.com/idolchatter/2007/ ... lways.html
--Message edité par felix le 2007-03-13 16:24:14--
LaKisha Jones
Citation : Her peeps pick songs for powerful pipes
American Idol LaKisha watch
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
By Marlon Vaughn
mvaughn@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6324
So let me get this straight, Flint-town: You'd like to see LaKisha Jones sing songs by Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Cheryl Lynn and .... Marilyn Manson?
We truly are an eclectic community.
As Jones continues her march toward "American Idol"'s Holy Grail, she'll be performing more songs, and in more varied categories, from showtunes to Billboard hits to country.
Advertisement
And in response to our requests for song suggestions to pass on to Jones, readers offered their thoughts on what compositions will show LaKiha the way to the crown.
Not surprisingly, given Jones' soulful, powerful pipes, standards of "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin were readers' top choices. But everyone from Luther Vandross to Patti LaBelle got some votes. And did I mention Marilyn Manson?
Beverly Brown of Flint suggested Cheryl Lynn's disco-era classic "Got to Be Real" and "Encore" as good fits for Jones.
"These soulful songs match the depth of LaKisha's voice, and I believe she would wow the crowd with familiar selections that make people dance," she said. "Her range could easily hit the notes that Cheryl Lynn so beautifully bellows in these '70s songs."
We agree, Beverly. Wouldn't you die to hear LaKisha doing that "soo-hoo, soo-hoo, soo-hoo" break in "Got to Be Real"?
Dawn Bell of Flint thinks LaKisha and Aretha's songs are a natural fit, particularly "Giving Him Something He Can Feel," "Call Me," "Baby, Baby, Baby," "Young Gifted and Black," and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Bell also suggested a couple from the Queen of 1980s Soul, Whitney Houston: "I Will Always Love You" (LaKisha expressed a similar sentiment in a recent interview with tvguide.com) and "Saving All My Love for You." Luther and Patti are also on Bell's mind.
Laree and Gary Saylor of Flint think LaKisha will kick major-league butt with a classic: "Amazing Grace." The song is a universal favorite and well-suited to her voice and style, they wrote in their e-mail. It's also the song with which she won the 1997 "Super-Show" and performed last January at her church, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist.
Marlene Heit of Chesaning likes gospel, and wants to hear Jones belt out "Bless This House." Mia McNeil is Jones-ing (pun very much intended) for some love songs - "So Amazing" by Luther Vandross, "Our Love" by Natalie Cole and "Emotional Rollercoaster" by Vivian Green.
And last, but certainly not least, Marc Fennerty of Grand Blanc would like to see Jones perform "The Dope Show" by androgynous '90s glam-rock bizarro Marilyn Manson. We're down with that, Marc, but we can do without the prosthetic body parts.
And we'd like to add some of our own suggestions, by category:
Advertisement
# Disco: "I Don't Know If It's Right" by Evelyn "Champagne" King - LaKisha should have little trouble emulating King's powerful, husky alto. Plus, we just want to see her decked out in sequins and flared pants.
# Country: "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks - It's a fun song, and it's one of the few country songs I know.
# Billboard Hits: "Fergalicious" by Fergie - This combination of singing and rapping truly would show off LaKisha's skillz.
# 1980s: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears - Some of the most soulful early '80s pop came from Great Britain, and this gem is one of the best of those imports. And the message still is relevant today. LaKisha won't suffer from "indecision, married with a lack of vision."
# Big Band: "Mack the Knife" - Oh, when the clock strikes, half past six; LaKisha, you'll be knocking 'em dead.
# Motown: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - A standard for any would-be R&B star. Marvin Gaye recorded the definitive version, and it's been covered often. Sometimes the covers have been very good (Gladys Knight and the Pips), others, yikes! (UK punk band The Slits) and some downright silly (remember the California raisins?).
source:
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/fljo ... xml&coll=5
American Idol LaKisha watch
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
By Marlon Vaughn
mvaughn@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6324
So let me get this straight, Flint-town: You'd like to see LaKisha Jones sing songs by Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Cheryl Lynn and .... Marilyn Manson?
We truly are an eclectic community.
As Jones continues her march toward "American Idol"'s Holy Grail, she'll be performing more songs, and in more varied categories, from showtunes to Billboard hits to country.
Advertisement
And in response to our requests for song suggestions to pass on to Jones, readers offered their thoughts on what compositions will show LaKiha the way to the crown.
Not surprisingly, given Jones' soulful, powerful pipes, standards of "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin were readers' top choices. But everyone from Luther Vandross to Patti LaBelle got some votes. And did I mention Marilyn Manson?
Beverly Brown of Flint suggested Cheryl Lynn's disco-era classic "Got to Be Real" and "Encore" as good fits for Jones.
"These soulful songs match the depth of LaKisha's voice, and I believe she would wow the crowd with familiar selections that make people dance," she said. "Her range could easily hit the notes that Cheryl Lynn so beautifully bellows in these '70s songs."
We agree, Beverly. Wouldn't you die to hear LaKisha doing that "soo-hoo, soo-hoo, soo-hoo" break in "Got to Be Real"?
Dawn Bell of Flint thinks LaKisha and Aretha's songs are a natural fit, particularly "Giving Him Something He Can Feel," "Call Me," "Baby, Baby, Baby," "Young Gifted and Black," and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Bell also suggested a couple from the Queen of 1980s Soul, Whitney Houston: "I Will Always Love You" (LaKisha expressed a similar sentiment in a recent interview with tvguide.com) and "Saving All My Love for You." Luther and Patti are also on Bell's mind.
Laree and Gary Saylor of Flint think LaKisha will kick major-league butt with a classic: "Amazing Grace." The song is a universal favorite and well-suited to her voice and style, they wrote in their e-mail. It's also the song with which she won the 1997 "Super-Show" and performed last January at her church, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist.
Marlene Heit of Chesaning likes gospel, and wants to hear Jones belt out "Bless This House." Mia McNeil is Jones-ing (pun very much intended) for some love songs - "So Amazing" by Luther Vandross, "Our Love" by Natalie Cole and "Emotional Rollercoaster" by Vivian Green.
And last, but certainly not least, Marc Fennerty of Grand Blanc would like to see Jones perform "The Dope Show" by androgynous '90s glam-rock bizarro Marilyn Manson. We're down with that, Marc, but we can do without the prosthetic body parts.
And we'd like to add some of our own suggestions, by category:
Advertisement
# Disco: "I Don't Know If It's Right" by Evelyn "Champagne" King - LaKisha should have little trouble emulating King's powerful, husky alto. Plus, we just want to see her decked out in sequins and flared pants.
# Country: "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks - It's a fun song, and it's one of the few country songs I know.
# Billboard Hits: "Fergalicious" by Fergie - This combination of singing and rapping truly would show off LaKisha's skillz.
# 1980s: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears - Some of the most soulful early '80s pop came from Great Britain, and this gem is one of the best of those imports. And the message still is relevant today. LaKisha won't suffer from "indecision, married with a lack of vision."
# Big Band: "Mack the Knife" - Oh, when the clock strikes, half past six; LaKisha, you'll be knocking 'em dead.
# Motown: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - A standard for any would-be R&B star. Marvin Gaye recorded the definitive version, and it's been covered often. Sometimes the covers have been very good (Gladys Knight and the Pips), others, yikes! (UK punk band The Slits) and some downright silly (remember the California raisins?).
source:
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/fljo ... xml&coll=5
JOYEUX NOEL ET BONNE ANNÉE 2009!!!!
Citation :‘American Idol’ Semifinalist Jones honed voice at church
Sunday, March 18, 2007
By DAVID RUNK
Associated Press Writer
DETROIT As a tear rolled down her face, LaKisha Jones received the news she so badly wanted to hear: She was an “American Idol” semifinalist.
The 27-year-old single mother and bank employee who hails from the blue-collar city of Flint long has dreamed of making it in the music business. Now, she’s a step closer thanks to the hugely popular Fox talent show.
Jones, who bears both a vocal and physical resemblance to Aretha Franklin, wowed the judges with a pair of the Queen of Soul’s standards: “Think” and “Until You Come Back To Me.” After her initial audition earned her a trip to the next round in Hollywood, Jones jumped into the embraces of her waiting family, snatched up her daughter and broke into tears.
Even ultra-mean judge Simon Cowell smiled. “Love this girl,” he said. “Love you, LaKisha. You’re a good old-fashioned belter.”
Fox declined a request to interview Jones. But in her appearances on the show and a video posted on the “Idol” Web site, she appears humble before the judges and passionate about her family — especially her daughter, Brionne, who turns 4 on Wednesday.
“I just believe in being real, being who you are and staying strong in your beliefs,” Jones said on the video.
Jones says the performer she most admires is Whitney Houston, who has had her share of ups and downs. She also identifies with Fantasia Barrino, a single mother who won in the show’s third season.
“It’s hard juggling, trying to live your life dream of becoming a singer and also being a mom, a full-time mom,” Jones said.
Jones’ grandmother, 89-year-old Ruth Morris of Flint, recalled how Jones’ passion for singing has grown since she got her start at age 5 at Flint’s Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church.
“She is a person that loved people and she’s always been great, wonderful,” Morris. “She loves the Lord, she loves the singing.”
Jones’ profile on the “Idol” Web site lists her hometown as Fort Meade, Md., but she was born and raised in Flint, Morris said. While Jones is in Los Angeles filming “Idol,” her mother is taking care of Brionne, who is thrilled to watch.
“She just jumps up and down,” Morris said. “She’s just very devoted. She just admires her mother being on that TV.”
Despite her hopes for a singing career, family remains at the forefront for Jones. She says her proudest moment is giving birth to her daughter, and lists her mother and grandmother as her heroes.
“I pretty much give it to you like it is,” she said. “What you see is what you get.”
Jones wants to win, but is trying to keep it all in perspective — and knows what she would do if she’s cut.
“I would probably go back to working at my bank and back in the routine of taking care of my daughter every day,” Jones said. “Just being a mom.”
source:
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=3 ... ategory=20
--Message edité par felix le 2007-03-18 21:30:48--
Sunday, March 18, 2007
By DAVID RUNK
Associated Press Writer
DETROIT As a tear rolled down her face, LaKisha Jones received the news she so badly wanted to hear: She was an “American Idol” semifinalist.
The 27-year-old single mother and bank employee who hails from the blue-collar city of Flint long has dreamed of making it in the music business. Now, she’s a step closer thanks to the hugely popular Fox talent show.
Jones, who bears both a vocal and physical resemblance to Aretha Franklin, wowed the judges with a pair of the Queen of Soul’s standards: “Think” and “Until You Come Back To Me.” After her initial audition earned her a trip to the next round in Hollywood, Jones jumped into the embraces of her waiting family, snatched up her daughter and broke into tears.
Even ultra-mean judge Simon Cowell smiled. “Love this girl,” he said. “Love you, LaKisha. You’re a good old-fashioned belter.”
Fox declined a request to interview Jones. But in her appearances on the show and a video posted on the “Idol” Web site, she appears humble before the judges and passionate about her family — especially her daughter, Brionne, who turns 4 on Wednesday.
“I just believe in being real, being who you are and staying strong in your beliefs,” Jones said on the video.
Jones says the performer she most admires is Whitney Houston, who has had her share of ups and downs. She also identifies with Fantasia Barrino, a single mother who won in the show’s third season.
“It’s hard juggling, trying to live your life dream of becoming a singer and also being a mom, a full-time mom,” Jones said.
Jones’ grandmother, 89-year-old Ruth Morris of Flint, recalled how Jones’ passion for singing has grown since she got her start at age 5 at Flint’s Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church.
“She is a person that loved people and she’s always been great, wonderful,” Morris. “She loves the Lord, she loves the singing.”
Jones’ profile on the “Idol” Web site lists her hometown as Fort Meade, Md., but she was born and raised in Flint, Morris said. While Jones is in Los Angeles filming “Idol,” her mother is taking care of Brionne, who is thrilled to watch.
“She just jumps up and down,” Morris said. “She’s just very devoted. She just admires her mother being on that TV.”
Despite her hopes for a singing career, family remains at the forefront for Jones. She says her proudest moment is giving birth to her daughter, and lists her mother and grandmother as her heroes.
“I pretty much give it to you like it is,” she said. “What you see is what you get.”
Jones wants to win, but is trying to keep it all in perspective — and knows what she would do if she’s cut.
“I would probably go back to working at my bank and back in the routine of taking care of my daughter every day,” Jones said. “Just being a mom.”
source:
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=3 ... ategory=20
--Message edité par felix le 2007-03-18 21:30:48--
JOYEUX NOEL ET BONNE ANNÉE 2009!!!!
Citation :Flint crowd erupts after news of Lakisha's 'Idol' survival
May 2, 2007
By JULIE HINDS
FREE PRESS POP CULTURE WRITER
It was a night for celebrating in Flint Wednesday, a city that's obsessed with LaKisha Jones.
About 50 fans of the "American Idol" finalist gathered Wednesday night at Flint's Beach House Bar & Grill to watch the results show and cheer as the hometown favorite escaped elimination.
American Idol contestant Lakisha Jones smiles after learning she was not voted off the FOX TV show which aired tonight.
"Thank you Jesus!", said Brenda Halbert, 43, of Flint. "I think she is going to win. I am going to keep the faith."
Although LaKisha made it to the final four, Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson were sent packing. Their double elimination made up for the fact that nobody was kicked off the show last week.
But the crowd at the Beach House cared only about Kiki.
"I am thrilled," said Kaye Balyeat, 60, of Flint Township. "She knew she had to make a change. She stepped up and did it."
When Ryan Seacrest announced that LaKisha would be spared, the crowd in Flint erupted in shouts and applause. Many of them were wearing LaKisha-themed t-shirts and digging into three cakes and two giant cookies saluting their hometown idol.
It was a triumphant comeback for the 27-year-old singer, who, after hitting a rough patch in recent weeks, recovered Tuesday night with one of her strongest performances of the season.
Her soulful rendition of "This Ain't A Love" song on Bon Jovi night was so spot-on, it prompted Simon Cowell to congratulate her with a kiss.
The online buzz Tuesday was that LaKisha might be booted, but her faithful followers in Flint were confident that she would survive. "I am part psychic and I knew she was not going home," said Tina Hudson, 40, of Flint. "That is all she needed, a really kick-butte song this week."
Wednesday's eliminations were based on the combined votes from Tuesday night, where LaKisha soared, and last week's "Idol Gives Back" charity event, where she earned weak reviews for her version of Fantasia's "I Believe."
In Flint, LaKisha's survival means the show will continue to provide a rallying point for the city's various factions and put a spotlight on city's talent, not its crime and economic problems.
For about two months now, the city has organized viewing rallies to support LaKisha, who grew up singing at Flint's Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, graduated from Central High and attended the University of Michigan-Flint.
This week, fans from Flint fought tooth and nail to keep LaKisha on the show.
Dollie Twigg, a 48-year-old homemaker from Flint, kept voting for LaKisha until 1 a.m. Wednesday morning. Twigg said she moved from her house to her car when her husband said he needed to get some sleep.
Volunteers like Trachelle Young drove around local streets Tuesday in a van that played recorded reminders to vote for LaKisha.
At a viewing rally the same night at the Flint Dome, which drew about 300 people, some supporters with cell phones in each hand stuck around for two hours and placed an estimated 1,500 votes, according to Young. "The big thing for me is the unity," Young said. She escribes how resident young and old, black and white, have joined the LaKisha bandwagon. "There are people coming together who haven't been together for years."
Parents in Flint say LaKisha's TV fame has been a teaching moment for them.
George Barnes, 39, of Flint, said he has been watching Idol with his three children ages 7, 9 and 11. "I teach them they can write their own book. It is showing them, she comes from Flint right here and now she is in Hollywood. She is a star. You could be the same star."
From the start, LaKisha has stressed the importance of this opportunity to her as a single mother and former bank teller. She has repeated said that she is working for a better life for her four-year-old daughter, Brionne.
"She's proven she's a star," said Mercedes Kinnee, who's in charge of Flint's City Hall cafeteria and founder of the LaKisha Jones Fan Club, which she estimates has more than 700 members.
Last week, the club urged people in the region to turn on their porch lights to indicate they'd voted for LaKisha.
"I can see her continuing blossoming," said Kinnee, who'd like to see LaKisha serve as some kind of youth ambassador for Michigan.
Rhoda Matthews, executive director of The Flint Club, which is committed to revitalizing the city, says she expects great things for LaKisha's future.
"She has an awesome voice, regardless of what happens with 'American Idol.' We've been proud to say she's our own," said Matthews.
Flint Mayor Don Williamson said last week that LaKisha's presence on the show has inspired the city.
Williamson also confirmed a promise made by him and his wife, Patsy Lou Williamson, that LaKisha will get the use of a Buick Lucerne in honor of her achievements.
The car is from Patsy Lou Williamson's auto dealership. The mayor had said earlier that she'd get a Buick for a year if she won and six months if she didn't. He's also pledged she'll receive a $6,000 gift, a key to the city, and a watch.
source:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 3/70502070
May 2, 2007
By JULIE HINDS
FREE PRESS POP CULTURE WRITER
It was a night for celebrating in Flint Wednesday, a city that's obsessed with LaKisha Jones.
About 50 fans of the "American Idol" finalist gathered Wednesday night at Flint's Beach House Bar & Grill to watch the results show and cheer as the hometown favorite escaped elimination.
American Idol contestant Lakisha Jones smiles after learning she was not voted off the FOX TV show which aired tonight.
"Thank you Jesus!", said Brenda Halbert, 43, of Flint. "I think she is going to win. I am going to keep the faith."
Although LaKisha made it to the final four, Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson were sent packing. Their double elimination made up for the fact that nobody was kicked off the show last week.
But the crowd at the Beach House cared only about Kiki.
"I am thrilled," said Kaye Balyeat, 60, of Flint Township. "She knew she had to make a change. She stepped up and did it."
When Ryan Seacrest announced that LaKisha would be spared, the crowd in Flint erupted in shouts and applause. Many of them were wearing LaKisha-themed t-shirts and digging into three cakes and two giant cookies saluting their hometown idol.
It was a triumphant comeback for the 27-year-old singer, who, after hitting a rough patch in recent weeks, recovered Tuesday night with one of her strongest performances of the season.
Her soulful rendition of "This Ain't A Love" song on Bon Jovi night was so spot-on, it prompted Simon Cowell to congratulate her with a kiss.
The online buzz Tuesday was that LaKisha might be booted, but her faithful followers in Flint were confident that she would survive. "I am part psychic and I knew she was not going home," said Tina Hudson, 40, of Flint. "That is all she needed, a really kick-butte song this week."
Wednesday's eliminations were based on the combined votes from Tuesday night, where LaKisha soared, and last week's "Idol Gives Back" charity event, where she earned weak reviews for her version of Fantasia's "I Believe."
In Flint, LaKisha's survival means the show will continue to provide a rallying point for the city's various factions and put a spotlight on city's talent, not its crime and economic problems.
For about two months now, the city has organized viewing rallies to support LaKisha, who grew up singing at Flint's Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, graduated from Central High and attended the University of Michigan-Flint.
This week, fans from Flint fought tooth and nail to keep LaKisha on the show.
Dollie Twigg, a 48-year-old homemaker from Flint, kept voting for LaKisha until 1 a.m. Wednesday morning. Twigg said she moved from her house to her car when her husband said he needed to get some sleep.
Volunteers like Trachelle Young drove around local streets Tuesday in a van that played recorded reminders to vote for LaKisha.
At a viewing rally the same night at the Flint Dome, which drew about 300 people, some supporters with cell phones in each hand stuck around for two hours and placed an estimated 1,500 votes, according to Young. "The big thing for me is the unity," Young said. She escribes how resident young and old, black and white, have joined the LaKisha bandwagon. "There are people coming together who haven't been together for years."
Parents in Flint say LaKisha's TV fame has been a teaching moment for them.
George Barnes, 39, of Flint, said he has been watching Idol with his three children ages 7, 9 and 11. "I teach them they can write their own book. It is showing them, she comes from Flint right here and now she is in Hollywood. She is a star. You could be the same star."
From the start, LaKisha has stressed the importance of this opportunity to her as a single mother and former bank teller. She has repeated said that she is working for a better life for her four-year-old daughter, Brionne.
"She's proven she's a star," said Mercedes Kinnee, who's in charge of Flint's City Hall cafeteria and founder of the LaKisha Jones Fan Club, which she estimates has more than 700 members.
Last week, the club urged people in the region to turn on their porch lights to indicate they'd voted for LaKisha.
"I can see her continuing blossoming," said Kinnee, who'd like to see LaKisha serve as some kind of youth ambassador for Michigan.
Rhoda Matthews, executive director of The Flint Club, which is committed to revitalizing the city, says she expects great things for LaKisha's future.
"She has an awesome voice, regardless of what happens with 'American Idol.' We've been proud to say she's our own," said Matthews.
Flint Mayor Don Williamson said last week that LaKisha's presence on the show has inspired the city.
Williamson also confirmed a promise made by him and his wife, Patsy Lou Williamson, that LaKisha will get the use of a Buick Lucerne in honor of her achievements.
The car is from Patsy Lou Williamson's auto dealership. The mayor had said earlier that she'd get a Buick for a year if she won and six months if she didn't. He's also pledged she'll receive a $6,000 gift, a key to the city, and a watch.
source:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 3/70502070
JOYEUX NOEL ET BONNE ANNÉE 2009!!!!
Citation :Ousted 'American Idol' finalist Lakisha Jones: "I knew on Tuesday"
By Christopher Rocchio, 05/10/2007
Her heart was still in it, but recently ousted American Idol sixth season finalist Lakisha Jones said her voice abandoned her when she needed it the most.
"I knew like on Tuesday... I'm hoarse right now, I was hoarse on Tuesday," said Jones during a conference call with reporters on Thursday. "I tried to sing past my hoarseness and give it my all because of course, on American Idol you can't say, 'My voice is jacked up, so I can't sing this week.' You can't say that. You have to just do what you gotta do."
The 27-year-old single mother from Fort Meade, MD was able to push her vocals through the first song she sang on Tuesday night's performance episode -- the Bee Gees' "Staying Alive" -- but she was unable to do the same during her second song of the night, "Run to Me." At the end of her performance, Jones' voice cracked.
"I kind of gave-up because I was as hoarse as I am now. And you can only sing so much until your voice is like, 'Okay. Enough,'" said Jones, speaking almost in whispers to reporters. "We do dress rehearsals before the actual show, so I had sung that song -- all the songs -- at least four times that day. So it took a strain on my voice. It really did."
As if being concerned about her vocals wasn't enough, Jones also had a waldrobe malfunction on Tuesday prior to the performance episode, as the blouse she had been planning on wearing was ruined in dry-cleaning.
"Oh God... it just messed me all up because in my mind, when you go on stage, you become this character. I kind of needed that extra oomph [from the outfit] to make me feel extra sassy," she said with a laugh.
Jones cruised through her New York City audition, Hollywood Week, the semifinals, and all the way into the Top 6. However thigns became a little tricky during the Top 6 performance episode last week when she sang Bon Jovi's "This Ain't a Love Story." While the comments from Idol's three judges were mostly positive ones, it was still clear that 1980s rock was not her genre of music. Then during this week's Top 4 performance episode, she had to master songs by the Bee Gees, which is an all-male singing group.
Jones commented she "wouldn't have sung" either "Run to Me" or "Staying Alive" if she could do it all over again.
"It actually was just the style of music was out of my comfort zone. It was a very difficult genre of music for me to sing. So I had some times with it, especially the Bee Gees songs. And I knew last night that those weren't the best songs, but I did the best with what I was given. I went out there every week and gave it my all," she said. "Everybody looks forward to me doing the big song, and when you're given those types of genres of music, it doesn't necesarily have those types of songs in country or rock. I'm a ballad singer... I love ballads. I like to be me."
While she might have seen her elimination coming, Jones was still emotional when Idol host Ryan Seacrest officially told her she was not moving onto the Top 3. But Jones' 4-year-old daughter assured her she had nothing to be ashamed of.
"I was crying last night, and she wiped my face and said, 'Mommy I'm not mad.' I just thought that was really cute," said Jones. "It was almost as though she was telling me, 'You know what? I'm proud of you.'"
source:
http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/oust ... y-5157.php
--Message edité par felix le 2007-05-11 00:12:03--
By Christopher Rocchio, 05/10/2007
Her heart was still in it, but recently ousted American Idol sixth season finalist Lakisha Jones said her voice abandoned her when she needed it the most.
"I knew like on Tuesday... I'm hoarse right now, I was hoarse on Tuesday," said Jones during a conference call with reporters on Thursday. "I tried to sing past my hoarseness and give it my all because of course, on American Idol you can't say, 'My voice is jacked up, so I can't sing this week.' You can't say that. You have to just do what you gotta do."
The 27-year-old single mother from Fort Meade, MD was able to push her vocals through the first song she sang on Tuesday night's performance episode -- the Bee Gees' "Staying Alive" -- but she was unable to do the same during her second song of the night, "Run to Me." At the end of her performance, Jones' voice cracked.
"I kind of gave-up because I was as hoarse as I am now. And you can only sing so much until your voice is like, 'Okay. Enough,'" said Jones, speaking almost in whispers to reporters. "We do dress rehearsals before the actual show, so I had sung that song -- all the songs -- at least four times that day. So it took a strain on my voice. It really did."
As if being concerned about her vocals wasn't enough, Jones also had a waldrobe malfunction on Tuesday prior to the performance episode, as the blouse she had been planning on wearing was ruined in dry-cleaning.
"Oh God... it just messed me all up because in my mind, when you go on stage, you become this character. I kind of needed that extra oomph [from the outfit] to make me feel extra sassy," she said with a laugh.
Jones cruised through her New York City audition, Hollywood Week, the semifinals, and all the way into the Top 6. However thigns became a little tricky during the Top 6 performance episode last week when she sang Bon Jovi's "This Ain't a Love Story." While the comments from Idol's three judges were mostly positive ones, it was still clear that 1980s rock was not her genre of music. Then during this week's Top 4 performance episode, she had to master songs by the Bee Gees, which is an all-male singing group.
Jones commented she "wouldn't have sung" either "Run to Me" or "Staying Alive" if she could do it all over again.
"It actually was just the style of music was out of my comfort zone. It was a very difficult genre of music for me to sing. So I had some times with it, especially the Bee Gees songs. And I knew last night that those weren't the best songs, but I did the best with what I was given. I went out there every week and gave it my all," she said. "Everybody looks forward to me doing the big song, and when you're given those types of genres of music, it doesn't necesarily have those types of songs in country or rock. I'm a ballad singer... I love ballads. I like to be me."
While she might have seen her elimination coming, Jones was still emotional when Idol host Ryan Seacrest officially told her she was not moving onto the Top 3. But Jones' 4-year-old daughter assured her she had nothing to be ashamed of.
"I was crying last night, and she wiped my face and said, 'Mommy I'm not mad.' I just thought that was really cute," said Jones. "It was almost as though she was telling me, 'You know what? I'm proud of you.'"
source:
http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/oust ... y-5157.php
--Message edité par felix le 2007-05-11 00:12:03--
JOYEUX NOEL ET BONNE ANNÉE 2009!!!!