American Idol Season 9 Top Twelve Contestants Take on the Stones

The top 12 American Idol contestants celebrated the music of the Rolling Stones on Tuesday, March 16^th. It was a program worth watching. According to the Rolling Stones official Web site, the band's vast array of songs was whittled down to 50 choices for these American Idol contestants. Considering it was their first night on a grand stage, the American Idol top 12 performed very well.

Siobhan Magnus had her moment Tuesday. The "Paint It, Black" arrangement showed off her amazing vocal talent. I thought it was her most impressive performance to date on American Idol.

Crystal Bowersox will never be left in the dust in the American Idol competition. Singing "You Can't Always Get What You Want," she remains my favorite. Her natural, raw talent comes through every time, and I thought her personality did as well. She's born to sing.

Lee Dewyze has a voice that is rich with quality and he showed it off singing "Beast of Burden" on American Idol. He didn't have the 'big moment' the judges look for, but he remains my favorite one of the guys in the top 12. I love to listen to Lee sing.

Casey James brought out his electric guitar again, but this time he hit his mark on American Idol singing "It's All Over Now". I loved the soulful sound of his voice Tuesday. Casey's humble quality is part of his charm as well.

Didi Benami seemed like a different girl on American Idol. She was much more confident. I think she was trying to shed her emotional image. Her range was good, and she sang with more conviction than we've seen to date.

Aaron Kelly chose a great song, "Angie," for his American Idol performance. He does have a solid power to his voice, but he was also able to show a tender side. Aaron seemed a little more comfortable on stage, but still has a way to go in that department.

Michael Lynche did a decent job singing "Miss You" on American Idol. His performance wasn't especially memorable, but his personality always shines through.

Paige Miles sang "Honky Tonk Women," and the American Idol judges didn't seem to notice that she had laryngitis. I thought it was evident that she was having some 'issues' as her voice broke a little. However, Paige hit some notes that a person with laryngitis usually can't hit. It was a solid performance.

Katie Stevens stepped up her game on American Idol with "Wild Horses." She has a strong voice, and the song was a good fit. I'd have to go along with Simon, however, when he told her that emotion was lost in parts of her rendition.

Andrew Garcia's vocals on American Idol were better than they have been recently, as he sang "Gimme Shelter." Andrew didn't seem especially comfortable on the stage.

Lacey Brown's voice seemed to get lost on the stage on American Idol. I was underwhelmed with her performance of "Ruby Tuesday." She was off key, especially at the end.

Tim Urban has been American Idol's "Comeback Kid", but he took a step backward in this top 12 showing. He gets credit for trying to change up "Under My Thumb" to make it his own style; however, it really didn't work well.

American Idol Season 9's Top Twelve Announced March 11th
For more information, visit American Idol's website.