KAT-SCRATCH FEVER VALLEY VOTING BLOC PULLING FOR ITS `IDOL,' KATHARINE MCPHEE.Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer It was a Tuesday night and the Kat Pack was baring its claws. Sherman Oaks' Katharine McPhee had just wrapped up a blockbuster version of Whitney Houston's ``I Have Nothing'' on ``American Idol American Idol is an annual American televised singing competition, which began its first season on June 11, 2002. Part of the Idol franchise, it originated from the British reality program Pop Idol. ,'' and the hit TV show's judges - instead of giving her praise - were weighing in with an unprecedented critical lashing. Kat's Houston cover, they whined, ``was way too big,'' resulting in ``pitch problems.'' And the most cutting comment from Simon Cowell Simon Cowell (born 7 October, 1959) is a British artist and repertoire ("A&R") executive for Sony BMG in the United Kingdom and a television producer, more commonly known as a judge on television programmes such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, American Idol : ``By choosing that song, it is like coming out here and saying, 'I'm as good as Whitney Houston' - (and) you're not.'' The Kat Pack - about 20 fans, friends and supporters of McPhee gathered in a Studio City living room - lashed back. ``You're on crack,'' one fan snapped at the TV. ``That was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard,'' shouted another. ``I can't believe that, for the first time in history, (judge) Paula (Abdul) has an opinion about something.'' It was a dramatic change in mood from the group's excited reaction when McPhee had finished singing. That ended with a roof-raising cheer. At the commercial break, a discussion broke out among the friendly throng about the possible inner workings of the record-breaking series. On this night, McPhee led off the competition show, and some believed the judges' negative opinions were a deliberate attempt by producers to set up tension among viewers. ``By doing that, they make it look like she's starting out this week with a battle on her hands, and if she comes out well tomorrow, it looks as if she had to really fight for it,'' mused Jim Davis, who, along with his wife, Diane, hosted the McPhee support party and whose son, Jamie, is a longtime friend of Kat's. ``McPhans'' are sprouting up throughout the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . Along Ventura Boulevard Ventura Boulevard is one of the primary east-west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real (the trail between Spanish missions), Ventura Boulevard is the oldest route in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S. , shops are waving McPhee banners, while about 1,000 McPhee support buttons were handed out at a go-Kat-go booth at the Sherman Oaks street fair a few weeks ago. Balloons festooned the lawn of the Davis home. An autographed picture of McPhee with the legend, ``I love you Sherman Oaks!'' hung on the door. A sign above the TV read: ``Catch the McPheever!'' The coffee table was littered with popcorn, sodas, a basket of McPhee lapel buttons, and cell phones and BlackBerrys. The cross-generational McPhee supporters that night were being visited by McPhee's mom, Peisha, a cabaret singer and vocal coach A vocal coach is a person, who works with singers on their singing technique, care and development of the voice, performance and preparation of a work. The coach may give instruction to the singer in private lessons, on stage, or during a recording session. . They all had one thing in common: They all want Kat to win the prize, which includes a recording contract and a shot at stardom star·dom n. 1. The status of a performer or entertainer acknowledged as a star. 2. Star performers considered as a group. . Peisha McPhee, who shares the same dark-eyed good looks as Kat and her other daughter, Adriana, 23, watched the night's competition, clearly thrilled with Kat's performance of the Houston number. A few months ago, as the new ``Idol'' season was getting off the ground, Peisha described Kat to the Daily News as ``gutsy guts·y adj. guts·i·er, guts·i·est Slang 1. Marked by courage or daring; plucky. 2. Robust and uninhibited; lusty: "the gutsy . . . and spiritual, someone who wants to express herself and takes that ability seriously.'' Her fans take their roles seriously. When the phone lines opened after Tuesday's competition, the frenzied clicking of speed-dialing and text-messaging grew in the Davises' kitchen and living room as electronic votes mounted for the attractive 22-year-old Notre Dame High School Notre Dame is the name of the following high (secondary) schools: Bangladesh
``We love her because she's a very down-to-earth girl,'' said Kevin Circosta, 22, a McPhee pal who watched the show at the Davis home. ``She's a sweetheart, and we're just so happy for her.'' With the fifth contestant eliminated tonight, McPhee is expected to be a front-runner for the crown; the winner will be announced May 24. Whatever happens, fans say, she's made the Valley proud. ``Kat is a very hard-working singer who takes her craft seriously,'' said party guest Susie Welby, who was McPhee's musical theater singing coach at Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame and operated the Kat support booth at the street fair. ``She honors the craft and approaches it with discipline and integrity. She's a really sweet person who's just a love. Plus, she's a great baby sitter and she's terrific with dogs.'' After the frenzied voting died down, Jamie Davis Jamie Davis (18 April 1981, Pontefract, Yorkshire) is an English actor best known for his role as Harley Lawson on the popular British television series Footballers' Wives and the ITV2 spinoff, . , 22, offered this about the girl he's known for about 10 years. ``I remember last year Kat was sitting on my couch, and we were watching last season's 'American Idol,''' said Davis. ``And she said, 'You know, I bet I could do that.''' The night after that fan gathering, Kellie Pickler Pic´kler n. 1. One who makes pickles. was bumped, and Kat placed among the top two vote-getters, ensuring her spot in this week's song derby. And in an even sweeter victory, Cowell (``You're no Whitney'') apologized to McPhee. AMERICAN IDOL What: The field narrows to four with the latest elimination announced tonight. Performances are 8 p.m. Tuesdays. Where: Fox. When: 9 tonight. KATHERINE'S SONGS Here are the songs Katharine McPhee has sung in competition on the current season of ``American Idol.'' Feb. 21 - ``Since I Fell for You'': Judge Simon Cowell said Kat's rendition of the Buddy Johnson Buddy Johnson (born Woodrow Wilson Johnson) (January 10, 1915 – February 9, 1977) was an influential jazz and blues pianist and bandleader active from the 1930s through the 1960s. classic, made famous by Lenny Welch Lenny Welch (born 15 May 1938, in Asbury Park, New Jersey) is an American MOR/pop singer. His biggest hit, a cover version of the big band standard "Since I Fell for You," reached number 3 on U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1963. in 1963, was the best of the night. Feb. 28 - ``All in Love Is Fair'': Judges felt the Stevie Wonder song was wrong for her, but judge Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American multi-platinum selling Grammy Award-winning singer, dancer, television personality, jewelry designer, and Emmy Award-winning choreographer. said Kat was ``still a star.'' March 7 - ``Think'': Judges said they loved her performance of the Aretha Franklin number because Kat ``had fun with it.'' March 14 - ``Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)'': Judges loved the performance on this Stevie Wonder song. Cowell compared Kat's increasing momentum to Kelly Clarkson's during ``Idol's'' first season. March 21 - ``Come Rain, Come Shine'': Judges were impressed with the singer's take of the Harold Arlen-Johnny Mercer classic from the '40s. Cowell said it was the performance that made Kat a star. March 28 - ``The Voice Within'': Judge Randy Jackson This article is about the American Idol judge. For the former member of The Jacksons, see Randy Jackson (musician). For other uses, see Randy Jackson (disambiguation). Randall Darius Jackson said Kat was too faithful to the original. Cowell said it was almost as good as Christina Aguilera's. But in the results, Kat placed in the bottom three, and Cowell said he now thought the performance wasn't as good as he'd originally thought. April 4 - ``Bringing Out the Elvis'': Jackson - ``Good job, dawg, good job'' on the song Faith Hill recorded. Abdul - ``That is your style; that's your niche. You look sexy, hot. You're cool.'' Cowell: ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. what to say anymore; I really don't. That song was just so peculiar.'' April 11 - ``Who Wants to Live Forever'': Abdul said Kat ``made the right decision to just stand there and be glorious, with your glorious voice. I mean, it's a song that big singers like Celine (Dion) and Barbra Streisand Noun 1. Barbra Streisand - United States singer and actress (born in 1942) Barbra Joan Streisand, Streisand take on; and you, Katharine McPhee, can handle it.'' April 18 - ``Someone to Watch Over Me'': Cowell said Kat made the others look like ``good amateurs'' on the George and Ira Gershwin standard, adding that she was the best performer of the night. Rod Stewart, the week's vocal coach, told Kat he believed she was ``born to sing.'' April 25 - ``I Have Nothing'': Cowell said that by coming out and singing the song, Kat was saying she's as good as Whitney Houston. The next night, he took it back, saying that when he watched the replay, it was a good performance. McPhee was among the top two vote-getters that week. - Compiled by Fred Shuster THE ODDS Both oddsmakers and voters are high on Katharine McPhee. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Aces.com and others, Kat is currently listed with 11-5 odds of winning, second only to Chris Daughtry's 13-10. Viewers, too, are right behind Kat, who was among the top two favorites when last week's nearly 48 million votes were counted and Kellie Pickler got the boot. Against remaining ``American Idol'' hopefuls Paris Bennett, Taylor Hicks Taylore Reuben Hicks (born October 7, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter. Hicks got his start as a professional musician in his late teens and performed around the Southeastern United States for well over the span of a decade, during which he also released two independent , Elliott Yamin Elliott Yamin (born Efraym Elliott Yamin[1] on July 20, 1978) is an American singer who is known for being the third-place finalist on the fifth season of American Idol. and Daughtry, the theatrically trained McPhee is the most polished, agrees Ken Warwick This article refers to Ken Warwick, the television producer and director. See also Ken warwick (disambiguation) Ken Warwick is a television Executive Producer and director, most noted for producing the reality television series American Idol and , the show's executive producer. ``People like to think that they have taken somebody who is working in a garage or flipping hamburgers or cleaning windows and made a big star out of them,'' he said. ``They do like to think that, and it's quite possible that, with Kat, they will think, `Hang on a second - she's so good, she's too good.' ``She's going to make it anyway. She doesn't need our help. ... If it comes at the end that she's just too damn good, then so be it, that's the way it's going to be.'' Whatever happens on Fox's two-hour ``Idol'' finale on May 24, Warwick believes Kat is an ``extreme talent ... the real deal. Whether she'll make it, she won't be the first very, very talented kid that's been cut this year.'' - F.S. CAPTION(S): 5 photos, 2 boxes Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Fan power `Amerinca Idols' Katharine McPhee has a Valley home base cheering, voting (2 -- 3) The Kat Pack - some 20 friends, fans and family members, among them Kat's mom, Peisha McPhee, above - gathers to watch ``American Idol.'' The field narrows to four tonight. (4 -- 5) Kat's sister, Adriana, 23, and another young fan pass out buttons in hopes of drawing more votes for their favorite ``American Idol'' contestant. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer Box: (1) KATHARINE'S SONGS (see text) (2) THE ODDS (see text) |
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