Elvis Night on American Idol

Elvis Presley was alive and well on Tuesday night as American Idol and its final four went to the beloved Graceland to prepare for the show, with ex-husband of Mariah Carey, producer Tommy Mottola providing each American Idol hopeful with professional support. Taylor Hicks, Katherine McPhee, Chris Daughtry and Elliott Yamin took to the stage, each singing two Elvis songs for judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and the ever-crotchety Simon Cowell. Featuring segments filmed on location at The King's famous Memphis mansion, Forbes reveals the contestants were greeted by Rock & Roll royalty, "Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley welcomed the finalists of 'American Idol' to Graceland amid cameras and screaming fans." It was clear from the outset of Tuesday night's American Idol broadcast that all four hopefuls had their work cut out for them and big "blue suede shoes" to fill.

Fan favorite Taylor Hicks, the gray haired Joe Cocker, Doobie Brothers throwback, came out swinging with an upbeat rendition of Jailhouse Rock, but at the end of the song, Hicks failed to win over Simon, who labeled the performance ridiculous. Bald rocker Chris Daughtry took to the stage and solidly performed the legendary tune Suspicious Minds, which garnered more respect from the judges than Hicks. As MSNBC reveals, both may have initially had the advantage given their styles and the opportunity to perform Elvis songs, "Hicks and Chris Daughtry, were probably thrilled with the trip to Graceland. It was the ultimate song style for Hicks, who will likely be singing a lot of Elvis songs if he loses and winds up on the wedding circuit in a couple of years. Daughtry's vocals are strong enough that he sailed through as well..."

For Katherine McPhee and Elliott Yamin, the night was full of surprises. McPhee, who just may be able to give Kelly Clarkson a run for her money if she wins, suffered from poor song selection with an upbeat Hound Dog - All Shook Up combination that didn't translate well on stage. In an awkward moment, the long locked beauty forgot the words to All Shook Up during the transition, an error that didn't go unnoticed by Jackson, Abdul, or Cowell. The biggest surprise of American Idol Elvis themed night came from Elliott Yamin, who rose to the challenge of the deep and inspriational Elvis song If I Can Dream. Although Yamin initially seemed a bit awkward with the vast scope of the song, he quickly settled into the rendition and delivered his best performance of the series. Yamin, a heavy underdog going into the night, managed to surprise even his own mother, who was recently quoted in The Washington Post, "I never knew Elliott could sing. About a year ago I went to karaoke. ... The noise level was very high and then Elliott came out. And when he opened his mouth and started singing, you could hear a pin drop and I thought, 'Oh my God.'"

The American Idol hopefuls each selected two Elvis songs and when it came time for their second go at "The King," Taylor Hicks redeemed himself in the judges eyes with a soulful and personal rendition of In the Ghetto. As for the always stable Chris Daughtry, his second tune was the recent hit A Little Less Conversation, which managed to garner praise from Randy and Paula, but as expected Daughtry's version didn't impress Simon. McPhee returned to the stage for a second time with a promising rendition of Can't Help Falling in Love, but as Simon put it best, her performance was too "over-the-top." Katherine McPhee, arguably the strongest of all four Idols, was so lackluster that Daniel Fienberg of Zap2it adds, "It saddens me to say it -- and even the Red Sox working a substantial lead does nothing to improve my temper -- I'd be surprised if she weren't heading home."

That meant the night was left for Elliott Yamin to salvage, both in performances and for his chances to become American Idol, and the laid back, soft spoken crooner came through with an even stronger outing than the first with a solid and stable rendition of Elvis' Trouble, which Simon Cowell felt was strong enough to push Yamin forward into the competition. As the public casts their votes for the most deserving Idol performances of the evening, Taylor Hicks, Katherine McPhee, Chris Daughtry and Elliott Yamin will have to wait until Wednesday night's broadcast when the votes are calculated and the results are in.

Since its U.S. inception in 2001, American Idol has turned a variety of everyday "average Joe" types into household names, including such singers as Kelly Clarkson, Justin Guarini, Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Jennifer Hudson, Constantine Maroulis, Bo Bice, Nikko Smith, and Carrie Underwood, even UC Berkeley student, William Hung for his awful yet lovable rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs." To date, American Idol has only produced one bonafide pop superstar in Kelly Clarkson with Clay Aiken following close behind with his own loyal fan base.

[Additonal Sources: Forbes, MSNBC, The Washington Post, Zap2it, photo (c)2006 FOX - Ray Mickshaw/FOX]