I’m watching the Finals of “America’s Got Talent†and giving my two-cents through a live blog. Let me know what you thought of the show and who you think is going to win the whole competition this year.
Voices of Glory – This was the best they have ever sung in the entire competition. I’ve never been a fan of this group, but they really did great tonight. I would have given them a standing ovation, too. It’s all going to come down to whether or not voters think this is something that could work in Vegas. Sadly, it’s not. Finals Rank: 2
Hairo Torres – What was this guy thinking? I’m not saying he had a chance to win it all, but at least he could have been competitive. I think he thought if he did an over-produced show like his last couple, he could consider himself a sell-out. He wanted to get back to his roots here, but at the completely wrong time. He’s a great dancer, but he definitely made a questionable decision tonight. Finals Rank: 10
Lawrence Beaman – I picked him to win the whole thing at the beginning of the season when I heard him sing “Old Man River,†so I’m happy that he’s in the top ten. However, there is just so much competition when it comes to singers. Tonight’s performance was effortless. Finals Rank: 3
Barbara Padilla – Let’s not kid ourselves. Some people are going to vote for her simply based on her story of survival. Others who are actually listening to the music will vote for her simply because she is one of the best vocalists the show has ever seen. That’s just too many votes for any other contestant to overcome! Still, Barbara doesn’t need to be singing at a casino. She’s molded more for Carnegie Hall. Next year “America’s Got Talent” needs to keep the $1 million dollar prize, but keep the venue where the winner will perform open until they know who the winner is at the end of the season. Finals Rank: 1
Fab Five – Their precision is flawless, but so is the entire line of Riverdancers. These girls would be great dancers somewhere in that line. Tonight’s performance was technically perfect, but not very exciting in the grand scheme of things. There are just too many better acts. Finals Rank: 9
The Texas Tenors – See, the thing with this trio is that I don’t think they like to be considered “cheesy†even though they really are. When these guys pick songs like “Unchained Melody†or “My Way†to sing, I really think they think it’s the coolest song they could’ve picked. It really isn’t, but these guys do it well nonetheless. Finals Rank: 5
Drew Stevyns – He has great stage presence, but it’s not enough to win the whole thing. He will get the female vote, of course, from those girls who think this is a beauty pageant and not a talent competition. Still, he really is a dark horse that could come out of nowhere. Finals Rank: 4
Grandma Lee – Of course, she has the “awe factor†and I’m sure some out there will vote for her based on that. But there is absolutely no way (!) she has enough original material for even an hour-long Vegas show. Two-minutes, fine. On stage as a headlining act? It’s just too much to ask. The “old people†jokes won’t hold up. Finals Rank: 7
Kevin Skinner – Aw, man! I really like this guy, but was unmoved by his performance tonight. Sharon Osborne says you don’t need the best voice to make it in the industry. That may be true, but you should at least have the best voice in this competition to win it. Finals Rank: 6
Recycled Percussion – I don’t get it. Seriously. They’re great drummers, but what’s so creative about it? I mean, they played “Wipe Out†and doused themselves in water. Finals Rank: 8
Final Thoughts: If we’re voting on just tonight’s performance I would say it was between Barbara Padilla and Voices of Glory surprisingly. I really didn’t like VOG until tonight. I’ve always liked Padilla.
FINAL PREDICTION: Barbara Padilla wins the competition on Wednesday.