'Idol' contender Melinda Doolittle plays Feinstein's
Photo credit: Getty Images | Singer Melinda Doolittle attends the Stonewall Vision 2009 Stonewall Community Foundation Annual Dinner at UN Delegates Dining Room and Terrace on June 17 in Manhattan. Doolittle came in third-place during the sixth season of "American Idol." (June 17, 2009)
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Melinda Doolittle
Former "American Idol" contestant Melinda Doolittle's upcoming New York performances are sure to be very cabaret, and, with all due respect to Simon Cowell, she's not about to apologize for it.
Especially when the cabaret is Feinstein's, the supper club at Manhattan's Regency Hotel where Doolittle, who finished third on "Idol" in season six, will take the stage for a five-night run starting Tuesday. "I'm so honored that Feinstein's would give me this opportunity. So if it sounds cabaret, that's wonderful. I'll take that criticism," she says.
Anyone who watched "Idol" would agree that Feinstein's is a perfect fit for Doolittle, 32, who performed show tunes ("Home" from "The Wiz") and standards ("My Funny Valentine") and, as Paula Abdul would say, she made them her own. "I love songs that have those melodies that make you want to sing," she says.
Feinstein's is the latest leg of Doolittle's post-"Idol" journey, one that started slow, but is quickly gaining momentum. Unlike past finalists, who seemed to cut an album faster than Randy Jackson could say "Yo, dawg, what's up?," Doolittle waited nearly two years before coming out in February with her first disc. "I wanted to take my time and put out something I could stand behind. I took the time to have live musicians," she said. The result was "Coming Back to You" (Hi-Fi Recordings), a rich blend of R&B ("Dust My Broom," "Fundamental Things") and standards (her cover of Doris Day's "I'll Never Stop Loving You").
But it was a performance at a charity benefit last month at Feinstein's that helped Doolittle land her upcoming gig. "She simply bowled me over," said singer Michael Feinstein, who owns the club. "Performing, especially in the intimacy of a nightclub, is not easy because the entertainer is so exposed. Melinda has a multiplicity of gifts, and they were all apparent within the first few minutes of her performance. Her voice is dazzling, and she can sing any genre of music, but she also has that elusive 'star quality' and great stage presence coupled with a natural and charming gift of gab."
Not bad for someone who remembers growing up in St. Louis and then Tulsa, where her love of singing wasn't exactly music to everyone's ears. "I was tone deaf," she said. "I would think I was singing correctly and it would be so wrong. I would audition for choirs. Everyone said I had so much charisma, then they would say, 'Stand in the center and move your mouth, but don't let any sound come out. When I told my mother I wanted to sing, she told me, get on your knees and pray. So I prayed hard, and I practiced."
Her prayers were answered
Her perseverance led to studying music at Nashville's Belmont University and then working as a backup singer for various stars including Michael McDonald, Aaron Neville, CeCe Winans and the gospel group Anointed.
When the "Idol" auditions hit Memphis in the summer of 2006, she knew little about the show and only showed up to accompany three friends who were anxious to try out. Only she made it.
"I didn't know much about the process. We went to Memphis, and there were 16,000 people. I remember seeing people who I thought were wonderful going home, so I didn't have any expectations," she says.
Despite coming across as shy and a tad humble, Doolittle gave a performance of Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life" that wowed the judges. Jackson, in a rare articulate moment, offered this piece of advice: "Believe in yourself, man. C'mon, you know you got it."
Someone else who also thought she had "it" was Michael Orland, "Idol's" associate musical director.
"She was a full-blossomed performer when she came on the show. In that setting, everybody learns to be a great performer even more. She was starting with the bar higher than most of those people that season," he said. "This girl had sung and stood out."
No longer in the background
After years as a background singer, standing out was a whole new experience for Doolittle, which she fully embraced. "The biggest thing for me is learning who I was as a solo artist. Singing background, I made a living sounding like someone else, blending in, making sure you just stay under that radar," she said. "Being on 'Idol' helped me step out of that shell."
Doolittle says she next would like to try acting (if anyone revives "The Wiz," Doolittle says she's ready to play Dorothy), but right now, she's just happy playing clubs like Feinstein's. "I can't wait to be that close to people and singing songs directly to them. You don't get that same intimacy when there are 30 million people watching. I feel like we get to sit in my living room and have a great time."
Melinda Doolittle's hot 'Idol' songs
Melinda Doolittle stole everyone's heart when she performed "My Funny Valentine" during the season six (2007) semifinals on "American Idol," and she promises to sing the Rodgers & Hart standard during her Feinstein's engagement that starts Tuesday. Here are four more "Idol" numbers we hope Doolittle reprises for her show.
"Since You've Been Gone" - Doolittle got plenty of R-E-S-P-E-C-T from the "Idol" judges with this Aretha Franklin classic in the semifinals. "Over two nights, I have seen people come out here with little talent and a huge amount of arrogance," Simon Cowell said, "and you are the opposite."
"I'm a Woman" - Doolittle proved she was more than W-O-M-A-N enough to take on Peggy Lee's ode to womanhood. "You're a little tiger," Cowell said after her scorching rendition. "I thought we had a pussycat."
"As Long as He Needs Me" - Doolittle was in her element singing this ballad from "Oliver!," which Cowell called "an impeccable vocal."
"Have a Nice Day" - For Bon Jovi week, Doolittle stepped miles away from her comfort zone and brought plenty of 'tude to the "Idol" stage. "Way to go," Paula Abdul gushed. "You're a rock star!"
